The dragon in hiding
by TheIceBreathingDragon
Summary: Winter has a secret. A secret she must keep at all cost. But what happens when a certain dragon slayer forces her into joining his guild? A guild named Fairy Tail. But that's not all...once Winter joins the guild, she grows more depressed than she used to be. Can Fairy Tail break her out her shell? Will her secret be exposed? What even is her secret? (Bad summary, sorry.)
1. Chapter 1

?'s POV

Everyone holds a secret. And by everyone, I mean everyone. Even if it's something as silly as a crush or maybe an important detail about themselves. Some people hide their secrets from fear of what others may think, but others simply don't care. Maybe because those who don't care, don't even have a family or friends to share their secrets to, so they live freely like an open book. Easy for everyone to read.

In my case, I don't have a family, or friends for that matter. But at the same time, I hide my secret from others. Not from fear, but because it's them who will fear me. Believe it or not it's the truth. You might be asking yourselves, "What kind of creepy secret could make others fear you?" and maybe, "She's totally exaggerating." But you should get to know people before you talk. Haven't you ever heard of the phrase; "Don't judge a book by it's cover."? I might be an innocent looking girl, but no. I'm not. I'm far from that.

Anyway, maybe I should introduce myself. My name's Winter. Just Winter. The thing is, I've never met my parents so you could say I'm an orphan. I've always lived on my own. Since I was a "toddler", I've learned to take care of myself. I learned to hunt, fight creatures and dark mages. I've also learned everything about Fiore from different libraries across the country. From it's history, to it's cities, it's forests, guilds, etc. I like to spend my time reading (which I also thought myself) and that's why I know so much about my beloved country. I also read about all types of magic. The forbidden ones, the lost ones,the rare ones, and the modern day ones. I've learned so much about magic, I even know each and every one's weaknesses. It's stupid I know. But when you don't have anything to do with your life, you have a lot of free time. A lot. And I spend my free time at every library that I encounter. Call me a bookworm, I don't care. But I simply love to read, which I'm pretty sure you already noticed.

Like I was saying, I'm "18 years old". My hair is the color of pure white, and it literally reaches to my feet, if I'm not careful enough, I might step on it and fall down. My bangs successfully cover my right eye but barely covers my left eye, people can barely see my face but I don't care. Halfway through my hair, mid-back, it has noticeable waves that end in soft curls at the ends, duh. My eyes are a very pale shade of blue. Not creepy, but it's kinda of an unnatural blue color. Not to be arrogant or anything, but my eyes are pretty much the only thing I like about about myself. Even though they're lifeless and dull, with no emotion whatsoever, I still seem to like my vacant eyes. I love how they can hide every emotion I feel. The pain and loneliness are hiding behind those dull, lifeless eyes. And I feel quite relieved that nobody can read me like an invitation. I would hate if people would look at me with pity-filled eyes. I would hate it if they could read my every emotion and just feel pity for the poor girl named Winter. I would simply hate it. I hate it when people feel pity for me and I think I already made that pretty clear.

I wear a pale blue dress that matches my eyes and reaches my ankles. It's a long sleeved dress that hugs tightly at my wrists. The collar of the dress doesn't show any cleavage, on the contrary, the collar is wrapped tightly against my collarbones, refusing to show any skin beneath the collarbones. Other from having pale blue, it has a few hints of white here and there, but not too much. It's a rather ordinary dress but in my opinion, it's pretty. It doesn't expose skin from my collarbones and down. It's not because I like wearing dresses because I'm a girl or anything. But instead, I wear this dress because I'm insecure of myself. I admit it. I made this dress when I "turned 18" and I only take it off to wash it in a nearby waterfall and when I take a shower. I don't like wearing other types of clothing, like shorts or crop tops. You could say I'm a very insecure girl when it comes to my body. But I don't care. I like my dress. It doesn't expose skin. Period.

You could say I'm an emotionless, cold-hearted person, but I wouldn't blame you. I treat people rather coldly and I've even heard rumors of me being called the "Queen of the cold". A ridiculous name, I know. But I'll say it twice, I don't blame them. In fact, I find it quite funny for reasons I shall explain later on.

I think I made it crystal clear of why I'm cold and rather harsh with people...right? I don't like showing my emotions. I know for a fact that if I show one tiny hint of emotion, I would break down. Honestly, being all by yourself, no one to call your family, searching desperately for someone to at least aid you with some food or water, it sucks. At first, I wasn't as emotionless and cold like now. I used to treat people rather nicely, searching for a friend that may aid me in my past situations. But they all simply shrugged me off. Like I was some bug. Some would look at me with fearful eyes and cower away from me. And it's not that I hate people. I would never. I've simply shut my emotions in a dark, tight cage. I stopped asking for help and started doing everything by myself. And honestly, it's better this way. Because this way, it would be much easier keeping my secret. A secret that I must keep from everyone as long as I live.

* * *

><p>Lucy's POV<p>

Today was as rowdy as ever in the guild. Natsu and Gray were fighting, as usual. Erza was silently eating her usual strawberry cheesecake, Mira was behind the counter chatting with Lisanna and Elfman, Macao and Wakaba were chatting happily while Cana was sitting on a table, chugging down her barrel full of beer with crossed legs. Wendy was sitting with Romeo and the three exceeds; Carla, Happy and Pantherlily. Levy had her nose buried in a new book she bought yesterday with Gajeel sitting beside her, arms crossed and a small smirk tugging at his lips as he watched Levy read. Jet and Droy standing not far behind from Levy. Laxus, Freed, Evergreen and Bixslow were all sitting silently in a table, not talking very much. The Master was currently in his office doing some 'important business' as he himself said and poor Juvia got a chair thrown at her face as she drooled over Gray who was still fighting with Natsu. The rest of the guild mates were either on missions or scattered around the guild doing other stuff.

I was sitting in my usual spot at the counter, drinking my favorite drink. A strawberry milkshake. It was deliciously sweet and I still can't figure out how Mira can do such a tasty drink. While I was drinking my milkshake, I looked around the guild. I saw how every single one of my nakama interacted with one another and I couldn't hide the small smile that found it's way into my lips. I love every single one of them. Even Gajeel has found a way into my heart. And believe me he's a jerk. But he's still a part of my family. I've learned to forgive and forget. Like when he was part of the Phantom Lord guild; their mission was to capture me and take me back to my father, but after all that, I forgave him. Besides, it's unlike me to hate a person forever. That's why I forgave him.

Erza finished with her cake and was now fully aware of the fight that Natsu and Gray have been on for at least 10 minutes now. I sighed, they are so gonna get a beating from her. She stood up slowly and you could literally feel the dark aura that now surrounded her as she turned around to glare at the two boys that hadn't even noticed Erza yet.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" She yelled as she grabbed the two boys from their hair; Gray and Natsu were now shaking in fear at the sight of an angry Erza. She knocked the two of them together, knocking them both unconscious. I giggled at the sight. Gray and Natsu were both now lying on the floor peacefully, as if they've been sleeping the whole day. Everyone watched as Erza crossed her arms and turned around, once again sitting at the counter. "Mira, I would like another slice if you don't mind." She spoke again with a fork in her hand, eager to eat her next slice of cake.

I couldn't hold the small laugh that escaped my lips. Well, this is my weird family. And I wouldn't change them for the world.

I finished drinking my milkshake and thanked Mira once again before slowly standing up and heading for the exit. It was currently 6 o'clock and I wanted to head home to take a shower and work on my novel for a while.

I hopped over Gray and Natsu's unconscious bodies and walked out of the guild after giving a small wave to the rest of my nakama.

I walked through the quiet streets of Magnolia with Plue by my side. It was a chilly night but the cold didn't really bother me right now. I was walking on the edge, maintaining my balance between the river and the cobblestone road.

"Miss Lucy, be careful! You could fall into the river!" Some friendly people that were traveling on a small boat shouted while waving at me. I waved back.

"Don't worry! I'll be careful!" I shouted back while a small laugh escaped my lips.

They always say the same thing. But they shouldn't worry because I won't fall into the river, well at least I think so. I walked for another 5 minutes with a shaking Plue that I now took in my arms, and arrived at my sturdy apartment. I got inside the building, walked up the stairs and took my keys out, opening the door. I walked inside and heaved out a sigh before setting Plue gently on the floor and sending him back to the spirit world with a small wave of his key. I stretched a bit and took some things. A towel, undergarments, and some pajamas before entering the bathroom and starting the warm water. I added my favorite scented soap which was strawberry with vanilla and got in the tub.

I gave out a relaxed sigh as I felt the warm water relax my muscles. Now this is the life. Nothing better than a warm bath after a long day. I didn't do much today since Team Natsu, which includes me, arrived from a mission yesterday so we were taking a break before going on another mission. We still haven't chose one but I'm guessing that Natsu will choose one tomorrow first thing in the morning. I sighed, nothing could ruin this moment.

* * *

><p>Winter's POV<p>

As I walked through the pitch black forest I thought of the day that my secret came out. Of course I wouldn't let that happen, but...what if? What if it did happen? That was the million dollar question. What would become of me after my secret was exposed for the whole world to see? I would probably die because everyone in this filthy world would probably want to dispose of me. Or maybe they wouldn't even care. Maybe before I let my secret come out, I would have friends right by my side to aid me. To support me even though they would be afraid of me too. But that would seem too good to be to true. Nobody in Fiore seems to see me as an ally. Everyone sees me as a homeless person that has no family and has no reason to be alive. A person that's on the streets because she wants to. Oh boy, are they wrong. I didn't choose this life. And I definitely didn't choose this curse of a secret. But I have to stay strong, even if it means more suffering and loneliness. Even if it means more rejection. Because I know, that one day I will find someone that will accept me for who I am and won't think of me as a heartless person. But instead, a person that has so much to tell. A person that like everyone else, has feelings. But for now, I must keep to myself until that fateful day comes. I can sense it. It's near. It has to be because I can't take this anymore. I'm going to fall apart.

No.

I won't fall apart. Why am I even thinking like this? I've never had such sad thoughts. Maybe I am more vulnerable and broken than I thought I was.

I chuckled bitterly at the thought.

Even if I do fall apart, I'll just pick myself up and glue me back again because that's what I've been doing for years now. And if I've been doing it for so long than I can keep doing it. Because I know I'm strong and I know I can fight through this and enjoy life like everyone else.

For now, I should enjoy the peace and quiet that I was granted with from the beginning.

I sighed and looked up at the now full moon. It looked so pretty. I couldn't help but stare in awe at the beautiful, sparkly moon above me. It seemed to drift me away from all my depressing thoughts and take me to a peaceful state. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before releasing it again. I opened my eyes and looked at my surroundings. I was now in what seemed like a small hill and behind me was the forest. Maybe there's a town around here.

I looked below the hill and sure enough, I saw a huge town filled with lights as if they were having a party. But that obviously wasn't the reason. It just looked so bright, I mean..wow. This town actually looks beautiful...wait a second.

Judging by that huge building in the very back of the town, which I recognized immediately as the most strongest guild in Fiore, Fairy Tail, this must be the famous town of Magnolia.

I looked over the town and saw lots of stone brick buildings and shops. There was a river surrounding the town and going through it as well. There was a park too. But the thing that I couldn't take my eyes off was the huge stone brick building with what looked like a fairy in the center. Fairy Tail. I smirked. This people were supposedly the strongest guild in all of Fiore, or so I've read, and I would love to meet them. But honestly, I don't really get along with people and they would just think of me like everyone else does. Winter the cold woman that doesn't have a heart. Winter the girl that was rumored to be the scariest woman alive. And that person is me. I'm the Queen of the cold.

* * *

><p>First story I have ever written so please I'm sorry if it's horrible and if it's got a lot of mistakes :-(<p>

Anyway, I will be updating chapters every weekend so stay tuned! This chapter is really boring but this is where you get to meet the protagonist of the story which is my own character! Winter is originally mine but every single Fairy Tail member along with Fairy Tail itself, belongs to Hiro Mashima! I repeat, Winter, along with other characters who will soon join the story (OC) belong to me along with this story. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro!

If you actually read this author's note than you have my deepest thanks!

Please review and leave comments to motivate my writing!

Thanks and I love youuuuuuu

btw, this is gonna be an OCxNatsu and even though Winter is you know...cold and Natsu is carefree, you'll soon learn why I want them to be together. That's why you have to read the story! ;-)

OK BYEBYE

_TheQueenOfTheCold_


	2. Chapter 2

Winter's POV

I turned around and walked away from the small hill. There is no way I'm going down there. Maybe the Fairy Tail members would beat the crap out of me until I leave the town. Either that or just leave me be. I may sound like I'm scared, but I just want to avoid any further situations. So it's settled, turn and walk away from Magnolia.

It was still night time so I decided to go deep into the woods and take a much needed rest. Tomorrow consisted of more traveling anyway, so I must rest.

When I thought that I was deep enough in the forest, I searched for a big tree that I could support my body with. I sat down in the soft grass and leaned my upper body on the tree's bark, and closed my eyes. I was desperately trying to catch some sleep. I'm really tired and if I don't want to collapse tomorrow from exhaustion, I might as well take a rest here to regain some energy.

I felt my body shut down and slowly slip away from the real world and begin to arrive at dream land.

.

.

.

I felt the warm rays of the sun touch my skin and opened my eyes slowly. I stretched my arms and looked around. Oh yeah, I forgot I fell asleep here last night. Oh well, I better get going. Judging by the position of the sun, it looks like it's somewhere near 8 o'clock.

I stood up and took another glance at my surroundings. Where I'm standing right now makes Magnolia be located right in the north so I should probably go south. I want to avoid them as much as humanly possible. So I turned around and started walking south. I'm kinda hungry so I should go hunting or fishing. Preferably fishing. I just love fish. No kidding.

I couldn't help but think; it must be awesome to be part of a guild. Man...how I wish I could join a guild.

Not.

I simply can't, for the sake of my and everyone's safety. That's just the way it has to be. But no need to worry Winter, one day you'll find a family. I can't help but feel happy at the thought of a family.

I shook my head, knocking myself out of my own thoughts and sniffed the air, searching for any type of odd scent that may lead me to food. Maybe a deer, or a bear. I don't know...but I'm starving. If I find a stream, there may be fish in there, I just have to keep looking. I kept sniffing the air but instead of catching an animal's scent, I caught a human's scent.

I snapped open my eyes and looked around, searching for the human. The scent was a little far so I guess the person isn't here yet. I took that as my chance to climb a tree and hide. I swiftly took the closest branch and launched myself up to the highest branch, landing gracefully. I heard some movement from up ahead and looked below of me to find a pink haired guy with a flying blue cat by his side. I narrowed my eyes. What is he doing so deep in the forest? We're probably 2 hours away from Magnolia and that's pretty much the closest town we've got right now. I couldn't help but feel suspicious at the guy. He may be a dark mage after all. But my thoughts were all incorrect when my eyes landed on his right shoulder. A very familiar-looking insignia. It was red and it looked very similar to a fairy.

Fairy Tail.

I suppressed a growl that was trying to escape my lips. What is he doing here? The damn dragon slayer must be looking for me. How do I know he is a dragon slayer? Unfortunately, I can't tell you.

But what confuses me the most is, if he really is searching for me, how can he smell me? I don't have a scent. This makes me very angry. Obviously, I wasn't going to do anything. Why would I?

I kept looking at him but he only stood there, with his flying blue cat by his side. They were both very silent and that pissed me off.

"Happy, am I the only one that feels like someone is watching us?" He finally spoke in a serious tone and I could notice from over here the glare in his eyes. So the cat's name is Happy huh? That's good to know.

"Aye, I feel the same way too Natsu. It's kinda creeping me out." The cat spoke while landing on the boy's shoulder, all of the sudden, his wings disappeared. Ah, so his name is Natsu.

"Don't worry bud, besides, we're almost to Magnolia." He said while showing a toothy grin and started to walk away. My curiosity got the best of me and I started to silently follow them by hopping from branch to branch. I tried to make the littlest noise as possible, he's a dragon slayer after all. Ugh, man do I hate those. Dragon slayers are so annoying. And they're basically a threat to me. But I can't help but feel curious for the guy. I mean, he's a Fairy Tail mage after all. And Fairy Tail is supposedly the strongest guild from Fiore, so that probably means that he is strong.

He kept walking, making small conversation with his partner.

"Man, I can't believe Gramps made us come all this way for a stupid book. The least he could do was allow Lucy to come with us!" He pouted and I smirked. I feel amused by this guy. So he was searching for a book huh? That's interesting. "She's our partner after all!" He continued.

So this Lucy...she must be his partner. Well, it's obvious that she is his partner. Another reason to boost up my curiosity. Why is he here all alone with the cat? He could at least brought some people to back him up in case of an ambush or something. If he and the cat got in danger, there wouldn't be anyone to back them up. Well, there's me, but it's not like they even know me. And besides, I don't like him all that much. But hey, that's very common to expect of me. To feel dislike towards a person. Very, _very_ common.

He abruptly stopped and I silently landed on the closest branch that I found.

"Natsu? The cat asked. "Is there something wrong?"He asked and I noticed he was slightly nervous.

I jumped towards another tree when I saw a huge blast of fire fly towards my direction.

"**Fire dragon's roar!"**

* * *

><p>Natsu's POV<p>

Me and Happy were now returning from completing a 'small' task that Gramps asked us to do. It was pretty simple, get a book. But the thing is, the only bookstore that actually had the book was located deep into the forest. And it was literally 6 hours away from Magnolia. That's not what pissed me off. The thing that pissed me off was the fact that he didn't let any of our remaining team members tag along. He specifically asked for me to and get the damn book. He only allowed Happy to tag along. It's stupid. I mean he should've at least allowed Lucy, she's my partner! And besides, she loves books!

We were currently 2 hours away from reaching Magnolia and I had this creepy feeling that somebody was watching same feeling that I felt 10 minutes ago. To be honest, that feeling hasn't left since. Happy was lying on my shoulder and I could sense someone's presence near us. This is starting to get on my nerves. Whoever is watching us, I'll burn him to ashes!

I stopped on my tracks and sniffed the air. There wasn't any odd scents but the feeling still remained. I concentrated on my hearing, checking if I could hear someone's footsteps or heavy breathing, but no. Nothing. I could sense it, but at the same time I couldn't. Does that make sense?

I had it! This bastard's getting it!

"**Fire dragon's roar!" **I yelled and blew fire towards a random direction. I stood in a fighting stance and Happy was now flying beside me, looking at me nervously. I saw how the tree slowly started to burn until it was completely bathing in fire. I growled.

"Natsu?" I heard Happy ask for the nth time already. I didn't want to make him more nervous so I slowly stood straightly again and grinned at him reassuringly.

"Sorry if I scared you Happy, I thought I heard something." I lied. I know there is someone following us but for now, I'll ignore it.

I saw how Happy relaxed a bit but was still slightly tensed.

"C'mon buddy, let's head back home!" I said still grinning at him. He finally relaxed and smiled.

"Aye sir!" He shouted and he took me by my shoulders and started flying back to Magnolia at max speed.

For a moment, I forgot that Happy could fly this fast. Curse my stupidity.

* * *

><p>Winter's POV<p>

When the kid left, I found myself laughing bitterly. This kid was incredibly strong. I looked at the now burnt tree, the fire has now faded but the tree was an ugly pitch black color and all of it's leaves were no where to be seen.

I smirked.

That kid almost got me. Key word: Almost. He was fast but not fast enough. I shook my head and started walking in the direction they left to. I made up my mind, I was going to Magnolia but I wouldn't make any interactions with humans. I would safely keep my distance. I'm not going to visit Fairy Tail, but I can't lie. I want to see this guild and all of their wizards. If this kid is strong, the rest of them must be strong as well...right? I'll just pay a visit to Magnolia, but on the way, I seriously need to catch a deer. I'm literally starving. I looked up and the sun was right above me, it must be noon now.

With my own trick up my sleeve, I started running at an unhuman pace and quickly made my way through the forest. Minutes passed by and I finally encountered my next victim. A deer. What a coincidence. I immediately captured it and after 20 minutes, I was now fully satisfied and no longer hungry. I started running after a short break and after what felt like hours, I finally found the same hill from last night. I stood at the very top and could clearly see Magnolia. Now that it was day time I noticed the pretty colors everywhere. The park, the houses, shops, and last but not least, Fairy Tail. There were lots of places to see but to be honest, the library caught my attention. I wanted to read so badly, but maybe I should stay here for a while.

Wait a second... what am I afraid of? I should just go down there without a care in the world. And that's exactly what I'll do. If people start to get nervous around me, I'll just ignore them and go straight to the library.

I smirked. There was a small downhill to the left side of the hill and I dashed towards it and ran all the way until the end of the hill.

There I was. Standing right in front of the entrance to one of the most famous towns from Fiore, Magnolia. I chuckled bitterly. I have a bad habit of chuckling bitterly. But who cares? Chuckling bitterly is my thing, even if it was creepy.

I guess I really am as scary as people say. If only they got to meet me better, but oh well. I looked at the colorful sign that said 'Welcome to Magnolia!'. Don't get me wrong, this town really is as pretty as they say on books. But honestly, I feel rather weird about this place. My stomach felt as if it wanted to explode. There's something about this place that really calls my attention, and I've barely seen the town.

With an emotionless face, I started walking through the entrance, my hair trailing behind me and my dress flowing in the wind. I saw how people glanced at me with curious expressions. But I only had a poker face. From the corner of my eye, I saw people starting to look at me with fear clear in their eyes.

But...why? That's the 10 million dollar question. I don't know. Probably because of my face, which they can barely see. Or maybe because the rumors about the Queen of the cold have successfully reached Magnolia. And that pissed me off, but I didn't show it.

Believe it or not, I even saw a man stand protectively in front of what seemed like his wife and children. What is it that people fear so much about me? They don't even know me. And the ones that interacted with me at least once in their lives, know that I'm not threat. Well, yes I am. But it's not like I'm evil. It's not like I've killed people in the past. I would never, believe it or not. But like I said I would, I ignored them.

I kept walking, ignoring the fear filled looks that people were throwing in my way. When I finally found the library, I opened the front door with a gentle push, and walked in. It looked very pretty and it was really big. There were lots of floors, which divided the books from genre. It was like a book paradise to me. Even though I held no emotion on my face, I was still excited to start reading my worries away. I started walking slowly and decided to read romance though I've never experienced love before, that doesn't mean I hate it. Oh please, how can you hate love?

While I was halfway through my third book, I caught an extremely familiar scent very close to were I was and I smirked. Seems like that kid is around here somewhere. Since he was nearby I just kept reading my book but still kept and ear out for any signs of him. If I say I didn't care about him anymore, I would be lying. I was still very curious about Fairy Tail. Especially him, a dragon slayer. A familiar voice interrupted my train of thoughts and I focused on my hearing.

"C'mon Luce, this is so boring. Why can't we just go on another mission?!" He whined. What?! Books aren't boring! Why you little-

"Natsu, you already came back from a mission little over an hour ago. Don't you think you should take break for once?" A girl, apparently named Lucy, sighed. I looked over my shoulder and saw a blonde girl searching through the shelves with a bored looking Natsu by her side.

"But I'm bored!" He crossed his arms and pouted. Jeez, what a baby. I chuckled. He seemed to hear me because he looked towards my direction. Good thing my hair covers half of my face, which was the half he could see through my shoulder. So he couldn't see my face but I could see him. Just because my hair covers my face doesn't mean I can't see. He narrowed his eyes at me but he shrugged it off and turned to look back at the blonde girl. He leaned into her ear and whispered something that I heard crystal clear.

"Lucy, can we please go now? There's a weird girl sitting over there and she gives me the creeps." He whispered and I slammed my book close, completely forgetting about the story. The sound of the book closing made it echo through the quiet floor. I dragged my chair back, the sound echoing as well. I stood up, ignoring the 2 pair of eyes staring at me, and slowly walked away, book in hand.

"Um...hey! Wait!" I heard a soft voice yell and I stopped in my tracks, not turning around because I already knew who it was. It was the blonde girl, Lucy. I heard her soft footsteps become louder and louder until they stopped right behind me. "Are you ok?" She softly spoke and I froze.

Nobody, in all my life, has ever asked me such a question. And this blonde girl behind me, probably didn't care either.

I looked at her over my shoulder and I noticed the small smile playing on her lips, I also noticed how her chocolate brown eyes sparkled with care. Maybe she did care. No she doesn't. She's playing with my head, my emotions. This here, is why I dislike people so much.

She saw how long I was taking to answer so she walked up closer to me. She stood right beside me and I felt how the pink haired dragon slayer stood next to her with crossed arms.

"My name's Lucy! Nice to meet you!" She sweetly said with a huge smile on her face. I couldn't believe my eyes. For the first time ever, a person didn't cower away from me. For the first time ever, a person actually smiles at me.

I took a step back, I didn't know what to do so my only option was to turn and walk away. I kept taking steps backwards, to my horror, she noticed and looked at me with a confused expression. She took a step forward and I noticed the dragon slayer look at me with pity filled eyes and that made me angry.

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. How dare he?! I glared at him and he looked surprised, only to return the glare seconds later. My breathing started to get heavier, and for the first time in a while, I felt angry. I mean, I've seen so many people look at me with pity, treat me with pity. And for the first time ever, I truly felt mad.

The blonde looked at me, fear starting to creep in her eyes and she took a step back. There it is. Now _that's _the reaction I was expecting.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?!" I heard the pink haired guy yell.

Lucy looked at his direction.

"Natsu, let her be." She softly spoke and I froze yet again. My breathing stopped and I looked over at the girl in shock, only for her to return a confused one.

She sighed and took a few steps towards me but Natsu grabbed her arm tightly, only for her to harshly yank it away from him.

"Luce," He whispered but was cut off when Lucy glared at him.

I only watched. My hard expression returned and I finally regained my cold aura. The blonde kept walking towards me and I only watched emotionlessly. I didn't know what she was going to say or do to me, but what I _do_ know is that when she's done, I'm so getting out of this place.

She stood at an arm length distance and I growled. Oops, sorry. Yet again, I don't care.

She flinched but didn't step back, she stood bravely in front of me. I saw the dragon slayer tense behind her, clenching his fists and I chuckled bitterly. He obviously heard because he snarled.

"Natsu." The blonde warned and he sighed and crossed his arms, glaring at me.

She looked up at me and my eyes connected with hers. Her eyes held such beautiful emotions that I so desperately wanted to see in my own eyes. There was love, happiness, care and honest. I couldn't help but looked down at the floor in fear of my own emotions starting to show.

"Let's start over, ok? Hi, my name's Lucy, and I'm a Fairy Tail mage." She softly spoke, pride clear in her voice when she spoke of her guild. "Do you mind telling me your name?" She asked, I noticed how gentle her voice was, maybe she thought that if she spoke too roughly or loudly, it would break me. Yeah right, like I'm some porcelain doll.

I didn't answer.

I looked up to meet her chocolate brown eyes full with care, and I couldn't resist. I turned away and ran out of there, throwing the book to the floor. I flew down the stairs and ran out of the library.

Oh no. It's happening.

Tears ran down my cheeks and I felt so pathetic. All of my years of standing tall, without a care in the world, all down the drain. But honestly, it feels good to cry. All this time I wanted to let go, but I kept refusing, but now that I saw those deep loving eyes, those eyes that held care in them. It made me explode, out of nowhere. I feel so weak and vulnerable, I hate crying. I want to wipe this damn tears, but the more I wipe, the more that fall, kinda like a waterfall. I can't seem to stop, but honestly, I'm not planning to stop. I'm just gonna let it go. I'm gonna be my own shoulder to cry on because right now, I feel so alone. I have never felt so alone and that only made me cry even more.

I noticed that I made it pass the Magnolia entrance and was now running in the direction of the forest.

And that's when I heard them.

"Hey! Wait up!" I recognized that voice from the pink haired dragon slayer.

"Come back!" Another voice yelled, Lucy.

I choked down a sob and started to run faster. They kept shouting for me but I ignored them. I couldn't let them see me like this, in this state of sadness. My eyes were probably drowning in sorrow and pain. I definitely don't want anybody to see me like this, especially those two. Ugh they are so clingy.

Curse them. I wish for them the most gruesome death for making me feel this way. Why? Why am I being such a baby? I still can't believe the fact that I just broke down, after all I did to try and keep going. To not give up...yet here I am.

**THAT'S IT!**

I stopped immediately and sank down on my knees. I covered my face with my hands and cried. I cried like never before. You might be thinking; '_Ugh get over it already._' But it's not as easy as you think! I'm trying my hardest ok?!

Wow... how can I even say I'm trying when here I am, bawling my eyes out like a fucking baby. Even though I feel pathetic, I also have this feeling inside of me...I don't know what it's called but I simply feel like a weight has been lifted of my shoulders. I guess it's good to cry once in a while.

* * *

><p>Natsu's POV<p>

I couldn't help but feel bad for the girl. After she ran away, I could smell the salty scent of tears. She was crying and I felt bad. I mean, even though we didn't do anything to make her cry or feel bad, I still felt bad. I notice how hard she was trying to control her emotions back at the library, and I was confused. Why would she try so hard to keep her emotions to herself? I know I'm not the smartest guy, but I'm guessing that she's all alone and in need of a friend. That's why when Lucy and I lost her, I vowed that I would find her again and bring her to Fairy Tail. She didn't look like a bad person. A cold one? Yes. An evil one? No. But with the help of Fairy Tail, she'll be able to break out of that shell of emotions she's in.

* * *

><p>Winter's POV<p>

After what seemed like hours, I finally stopped crying. My eyes were swollen and once in a while, a pathetic whimper would escape my lips. I was so tired, I dragged myself towards a tree and leaned against it, trying to find a comfortable spot. I closed my eye, expecting sleep to take over my senses but it took a while. After 10 minutes, sleep finally took over. All I saw was the twilight sky before falling asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note.<strong>

**Hey guys! I decided to post another chapter because I won't be able to be online through the week because of thanksgiving but still...here's a chap for you sweeties.**

**In this chapter, Winter meets Lucy and Natsu but she kinda gets depressed so she ran away but Natsu vowed that he would find her. Will he fulfill that task? Well...I don't know. Read and find out.**

**Anyways, on my first chappy I didn't get any feedback but I did get a fair amount of views and visitors, 23 to be exact. Anyway, it would make me extremely happy if you guys'd leave me some cute comments. **

**Anyway, the next chapter will be posted on either Saturday or Sunday so stay tuned.**

**Sorry for any mistakes and typos and I'm EXTREMELY sorry if Natsu seems OOC but I needed him to say those things if I wanted the story to work out. **

**I love you guys!**

_TheQueenOfTheCold_


	3. Chapter 3

Winter's POV

I slowly opened my eyes while letting out a groan. My head hurts so much! It was probably thanks from all the crying from yesterday. I slowly sat, rubbing my head. I looked around and noticed it was still night time. I probably slept like 4 hours because it's still really dark in the forest.

I stood up while stretching and looked around. What am I supposed to do now? I heaved a small sigh as I started to walk into a random direction. I don't know where to go nor what to do and that fills me with frustration. I don't want to go back to Magnolia but...where do I go now? The nearest city to Magnolia is probably 4-5 hours from here and I am in no mood to run or even walk. I should just go back to sleep, besides, it's still night time. Um...that idea has a flaw, I'm not sleepy anymore. I groaned. _Man_...living the lonely life sure is boring; there's nothing to do and nowhere to go.

I walked while inspecting my surroundings. They're a few birds curled up in their nests, squirrels were sleeping peacefully inside a hole in a tree's bark and here I was, unable to sleep. I kept rubbing my but the pain won't go away and the frustration isn't helping either.

I decided to have some fun. After all, I'm bored.

I stopped walking and closed my eyes as I started to concentrate on my power. I felt how the temperature started to drop and I sighed. I love the cold. I snapped my eyes open. Now let's have some fun. I smirked.

I started to run, feeling absolutely free. Every step I took caused the ground to freeze up and I laughed. I love my ice, it makes me feel happy. The ice that was now trailing behind me decorated the forest in an odd way. But I didn't care, I just kept running. I stopped running and turned around, watching the beautiful ice that was still hot on my trail. I softly giggled as I raised an arm, causing the ice to turn into small little snowflakes. The snowflakes were flying around and I waved my hand in a circle, causing the snowflakes to unite into a big group and fly towards me. I laughed, the snowflakes were now surrounding me in a beautiful way and I just couldn't stop laughing. After all that crying, I seriously needed to laugh for a change.

I know that you're thinking that I'm really weird for laughing at my snowflakes but honestly, there's nothing I love more than the cold. Everything that's cold, I love it. Maybe that's were I get my attitude from, hmm..._ probably_. But it's the truth, I truly love the cold climates and elements. Well can you blame me? My name's Winter for Pete's sake! It's in my nature to love the cold.

The headache I once felt was gone, nowhere to be seen...or felt. The snowflakes were dancing around me and I was grinning like an idiot. I gently got on my knees and made the snowflakes disappear with a small swipe of my hand, making them fly away. I looked down at the ground and smiled as a beautiful white flower grew from the ground. After it grew fully, snow fell from it's petals and I giggled. The flower was my favorite one. It was completely white but it's petals were had hints of icy blue. I plucked it off from the ground and gently took the right half of my bangs, taking it away from my face and softly pinning it with the flower just above my ear. Now only the left half of my bangs covered - but barely - my right eye. I sighed and closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. I felt so free and relaxed. But of course it wouldn't last. I knew it was too good to be true.

I caught an incredibly familiar scent nearby and snapped my eyes open. Why is he here? It's the middle of the night! And we're in the forest for Pete sake! He doesn't give up does he? I quickly stood up and in a heartbeat, ripped the flower off of my ear, my bangs falling freely and covering my right eye. I heard hurried footsteps coming from behind me. Seconds later, I heard some rustling. I sprinted towards the nearest tree and climbed it as humanly possible until reaching the very top in record time. I abruptly heard some panting as I looked to where I once was and saw none other than Natsu himself. His hands were resting on his knees and I couldn't help but wonder what made him so exhausted? Once he recovered, he glanced at the direction he came from and I noticed a hard glare on his eyes. That's interesting.

All of the sudden, he was sent flying towards a nearby tree and my eyes grew wide. Um...what's happening? Is he fighting against someone?

My questions were answered when a guy wearing a dark cloak appeared, the hood covering his face, making it impossible to see him. The darkness isn't helping either. I narrowed my eyes at him but didn't dare to move a muscle. This is the pink haired guy's fight, not mine. I heard a loud battle cry and Natsu sent a flaming fist towards the guy but he dodged swiftly. Who is he? And why are they both fighting in the middle of the forest in the middle of the night? It's obvious that the cloaked guy must be an evil mage, I can feel his magic power from this high up.

I smirked.

A few minutes passed and they were still fighting. The trees around them were basically destroyed and I was forced to leap to another tree so I wouldn't get crushed. I was watching in shock how the fire dragon slayer was taking a beating. He hasn't landed a single hit but by every second that passed he got angrier. A question that was still not answered; What type of magic does this guys use?

"**RRRAAHHH!"** Natsu roared as his flames were now more fierce and alive. He jumped towards the cloaked guy, determination clear in his actions as he threw - yet another - fist towards the guy. From this tree I herd the guy laugh bitterly. Hey! That's _my _thing buddy! He lifted an arm and Natsu's flames died, he fell to the floor and started to scream in pain. What just happened? What kind of magic is this? Oh-oh. If this guys keeps going much further he might even kill the poor guy.

The dragon slayer was now on the floor, screaming and trashing in hands fell weakly on his sides and I rolled my eyes.

The guy rested his arm back on his side and Natsu finally stopped screaming but was now struggling to stand up. That made me wonder... why is he here all alone? Where are his guild mates? And most importantly...who is the cloaked man?

All this questions made my earlier headache return and I mentally groaned. Well, I better help him before this gets way more out of hand.

I chuckled, making the pink haired dragon slayer freeze. The cloaked guy didn't seem to hear me because he remained in the same spot.

Let's get this over with.

I leaped from the branch and landed gracefully in front of the struggling Natsu who was now looking at me with surprise plastered all over his features. I couldn't see the cloaked guy's face but he laughed, clearly amused by my sudden appearance.

"What's this? A girl came to your rescue, Natsu Dragneel. Isn't that something?" He laughed in amusement and I narrowed my eyes at him as I stood confidently with arms by my sides and head held high. "I'll kill her as well!" He shouted and leaped towards me but I easily dodged.

"N-no." The fire mage groaned and after stumbling a bit, finally stood up, shaking slightly. "This...is _our _fight. N-not her's." He spat while his right fist slowly began to drown in flames.

I glared at him and turned towards my opponent who was standing right in front of me. He chuckled and I growled in response. He can't just steal my thing like that!

He lifted his arm and gestured it to me. Seconds later, I was sent flying towards a nearby tree.

"You bastard!" I heard the pink haired growl. I laughed. Can you blame me for having fun? I landed on my feet instead of crashing against the tree and with inhuman speed, ran towards the cloaked bastard. He had no time to dodge my fist that went straight to his hidden face. He flew a few feet away from where he once was standing. Without giving him a chance to stand up, I sprinted towards him and picked him up by the collar. With all my strength, I kicked him in the stomach and he crashed against a tree. He stumbled a bit but managed to stand up.

"You're stronger than I thought." He grunted but I didn't answer, another habit of mine I guess. "But not strong enough." He laughed as he gestured both of his arms forward and I was sent flying once again but with much greater speed. In the blink of an eye, I crashed through the tree and fell to the ground.

"Why you bastard! Leave her alone!" The dragon slayer shouted and jumped towards the cloaked guy, throwing him his fist surrounded by flames. I quickly stood up and cleaned off the dirt that was on my dress and hair. The cloaked guy dodged Natsu's attack with ease.

That's it. This was supposed to be fun but he cheated...so I'm gonna cheat as well. I clenched my fists as the temperature dramatically dropped around me and any normal human that would come close to me would probably freeze. I slowly started to walk forward, freezing everything in my path.

I heard the dragon slayer gasp slightly and the cloaked man chuckle. I grinned mischievously and started to create an ice sword in my hand. The icy blue sword had an incredibly pointy end and the blade itself was made of pure ice...obviously.I gripped the handle tightly and leaped at my opponent who had no time to dodge my attack. My sword was able to cut through his cloak and slash at his skin. He groaned in pain and fell to the ground, clutching his side. He quickly regained his ground and with another arm gesture, he successfully made me fly towards another tree. I landed on my feet again and with no time to waste, sprinted towards him again. I made my sword disappear and instead of fighting him head on, I stopped in my tracks and with a small wave of my hand, ice came crashing out of the ground and successfully hitting him.

"That's enough!" He yelled furiously as he shakily stood from the ground. "I don't have time for this childish games. I'll be going for now, but beware because I will be back." He laughed hysterically before merging with the shadows and vanishing from sight. I scoffed before turning to walk away.

"Hey..." I heard a weak, husky voice speak and I totally forgot about the pink haired dragon slayer. I sighed as I turned around. He was sitting on the ground, clutching his stomach. I guess he is in pain but what am I supposed to do? Take him back to Fairy Tail? "Thanks for the save back there...even though I didn't need your help." He grumbled the last part and I raised an eyebrow, confused. What an idiot. Is he really that dense? He almost died. Ugh...dragon slayers these days. After 2 failed attempts, he finally stood up with the support of a burnt tree. I couldn't suppress the giggle that escaped my lips and I cursed mentally at myself. He looked at me before giving me a toothy grin which kinda surprised me. I ignored the grin and crossed my arms over my chest. "What's your name? I'm Natsu Dragneel, a Fairy Tail wizard." He proudly said while finally standing straight and grinning at me once again. I didn't want to answer but hey...it's not like he's going to kill me for telling him my name.

"Winter." I spoke coldly. It was the first time in what felt like forever that I spoke, most importantly, tell my name to some stranger. It has been quite the while since I last opened my mouth to speak, but that just went down the drain. I noticed him smiling again and I almost groaned. What is it with all the smiling?

"Nice to meet ya Winter!" He shouted and grinned at me, again. "Why did you run away back at the library yesterday?" He suddenly questioned and his tone got dead serious.

Oh.

I didn't expect this. What do I say now? Think Winter! I have to make up an excuse! Ah!

"I was late for something." I spat. Hah, in your face, _dragon slayer_.

"Then why were you crying?" He asked once again and I noticed how his voice turned softer. I froze. H-he saw me? Impossible. Maybe since he is a dragon slayer, he smelled my tears. Yeah that must have been it.

"I wasn't crying." I argued and my tone got colder. I was getting pissed off at this idiot. Why would he care? Nobody cares for me and he ain't going to be the first that suddenly cares for me! He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't lie. I smelled your tears." He said seriously and I cursed mentally. I knew it. Damn dragon slayers. Ugh. What am I supposed to say now? Maybe I should just ignore him and walk away. That seems like a good idea. Ok since I have no more ideas, I'm out of here.

I turned away from him and startedto walk.

"Hey! Where are you going?" I heard footsteps behind me and I suppressed a growl. I hate him so much. He is such a nuisance. I was stuck in place when I felt a hand wrap firmly around my arm, instantly warming the cold skin. I gasped. It was a warmth I've never felt before and I turned to look at him with wide eyes. He was looking at me with a deep frown on his lips.

"You're freezing." He stated casually and I yanked off his hand away from my arm.

"Are you stupid or something? Of course I'm cold, I'm an ice mage!" I lied. I'm not only an ice mage. I have various tricks up my sleeve.

"Well, sorry." He pouted and I groaned. This is gonna be the longest night of my life. "You don't have to be so mean." He continued to whine and I clenched my fists. I have never met such an idiotic person in my life. I took a deep breath, relaxing a little.

He's friendly, that's what matters...right?

"What do you want?" I said through my teeth. I'm getting annoyed by the second.

"You look like you need a friend." He grinned and I froze for what felt like the millionth time already.

"W-what?" I whispered in shock. Curse my vulnerability. There's no way I'm accepting his 'friend request' if that's what he wants. But wait a second...isn't that what I've been wishing for so long? A friend? Maybe I should become his friend but if I do, he'll probably take me to Fairy Tail and I don't want that. And besides, I have a secret to keep so it's way better to be alone, at least for some time. Baby steps...right?

"You could join my guild!" He offered cheerfully.

Should I join his guild?

There would be people I could consider as friends. A family.

Should I join Fairy Tail?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong>

**You guys seriously don't know how angry I am right now. When I almost finished the chapter, I pressed a wrong button and it deleted the whole chapter..._three_ times. THREE TIMES. I spent hours writing a 14k+ chapter but I had to cut it to 3k+ because I couldn't remember what I wrote. I am extremely mad at myself and I hope you guys can forgive me.**

**Winter wasn't supposed to agree to join his guild this easily but since the chapter got deleted, I was forced to write this poor excuse of a chapter. I feel like crying. **

**Anyways...I would like to say thanks to all of those that have favorite and followed this story! I love you! **

**The next chapter will be up next weekend so stay tuned! **

**LEAVE REVIEWS ON YOUR OPINIONS OF THIS STORY! IF I SHOULD CHANGE SOMETHING, ADD SOMETHING OR CORRECT SOMETHING!**

**Yay or nay? - Are you liking this story so far?**

**I promise you guys that from chapter 10 and up are filled with drama and action...yes I already wrote them. This chapter got deleted from my folder so that is why it is extremely crappy.**

**THANK YOU GUYS **

**BYE**

**I LOVE YOU**

_**OH**_

**I FORGOT TO SAY I CHANGED MY PEN NAME :-) IT USED TO BE **TheQueenOfTheCold but I changed it to TheDragonThatBreathesIce :-)

**byeeee**

_TheDragonThatBreathesIce_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello guys! **

**Before you read the chapter please read this note!**

**First of all, I am extremely sorry for not updating in two weeks. I actually have a good excuse for that. I was so mad at myself for ruining the last chapter I decided to blow off some steam...for two weeks. ****_That _****and I had a ****_lot _****of exams for school but the good news is...SCHOOL IS OVER! That means I can update with more frequency :-) Please forgive me for ruining the last chapter. This story is not really starting the way I wanted it to, but I hope I can manage to make this story more interesting and cool by each chapter that I write. **

**BTW, there are some stuff here that don't make sense since half from the last chapter was erased so...sorry in advance if you don't understand some things. **

**Anyway, **

****** IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHEN THE ROMANCE IS GOING TO START...WELL I'M SORRY BUT THE ROMANCE IN THIS STORY IS GOING TO BE VERY SLOW SO BARE WITH IT FOR NOW PLEASE******

******I'm sorry if this chapter is too short but trust me, the chapters are going to get longer as the story continues!**

**I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL! (BUT I WISH I DID)**

**REVIEW AND FAVORITE BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS STORY SO FAR! IS T GOOD? BAD? INTERESTING? BORING? IS IT TOO SLOW OR FAST? PLEASE TELL ME SO I CAN CORRECT MY ERRORS AND STUFF!**

**I'm going to start making the author's note before the chapter from now on :-)**

**BYE**

_TheDragonThatBreathesIce_

* * *

><p>Winter's POV<p>

This was a horrible idea. I regret accepting to join his stupid guild. Why do I always seem to make bad decisions? Damn me and stupidity.

Natsu and I were currently walking back to Magnolia and he won't shut up about how cool his guild is and how much I'm going to love it. Honestly, I can't help but regret my decision. There are so many people in his guild and the thought of meeting them all at once makes my head spin. He also told me how the guild is always loud and rowdy and that made my heart drop. I hate loud noises and having a room full of loud people sends a wave of nausea to my stomach.

"...then there's Erza." He shivered in fear as I quirked up an eyebrow in confusion. "She's strong and scary." He said while shaking lightly.

Oh please, I'm gonna have to meet her to believe that.

"But even though she's scary, she's also brave and loyal." He grinned and I sighed. I am really not looking forward to this.

When I told Natsu that I would accept to join his guild, he flew over to me and wrapped me in a tight embrace. To say I was shocked is an understatement. I was beyond from shocked. It was like I stopped breathing and couldn't snap out of whatever trance that I was in. Like I was hypnotized. When I finally managed to snap out of it, it felt like I went weak. That embrace made me think that maybe I wouldn't regret this decision and that I finally found a place that wouldn't reject me. But the thought of Fairy Tail rejecting me is still in my head and I can't just simply shake it off. It's like deep inside of me, I know they're going to accept me, but the fear is still there and gaining control...fast. The fear is starting to piss me off and I just want to meet them, get the damn insignia on my skin and leave so I could be alone. _What am I saying? _I'm joining Fairy Tail because I _don't _want to be alone and I'm already planning on leaving to a more peaceful place so I could avoid them? I really have to change my personality if I want them to like me. I don't have to change completely, hell no. But maybe I should change my negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. Yeah, I should do that but...how? I don't know how to shrug off this fear creeping inside of me. I should feel happy that I'm finally joining a guild, but I still feel afraid for some odd reason. I know I'm afraid of what will happen after I join the damn guild but...why? It's not like it's the end of the world! Jeez, I really have to snap out of it...like, now! Maybe with Natsu's help I can get rid of my bad thoughts before we get there.

I glanced over at said person and that's when I noticed that he was still talking about his beloved guild. I couldn't help but see this happy look in his eyes as he spoke and I sighed. I wish I could feel happy for once. I lightly shook my head and looked at Natsu once again.

"Hey Natsu..." I spoke quietly before he stopped talking to look at me with confusion.

"Yeah, what's up?" He grinned and once again...I sighed.

"I'm scared." I blurted out without thinking twice. If he was to become one of my guild mates I guess I could talk to him about my fears. I saw through the corner of my eye as he frowned.

"Of what?" He chuckled awkwardly but I still noticed a bit of worry in his tone.

I sighed as I met his gaze. His eyes had hints of worry here and there and he had a slight frown on his lips. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I'm afraid of what they'll do when they see me." I spoke bluntly while turning my head away. I may be afraid, but that doesn't mean I'm going to show it. His eyes were now full confusion and I mentally groaned as his stupidity.

"What are you talking about? They'll love ya!" He grinned and I rolled my eyes at him.

He doesn't get it! I've never been in a guild before! Hell, I've barely even talk to people.

He noticed my facial expression and his grin vanished, long forgotten. I sighed as I lifted my gaze to the night sky, closing my eyes temporarily. I took a deep breath and slowly opened opened my eyes again. I really wanted to take another shut eye but I think we're closer to Magnolia now, there's probably half an hour before we reach there. I'm pretty sure it's nearly 4 am so it's still pretty dark.

"We should pick up the pace, I want to get to Magnolia so I can have at least an hour worth of sleep." I muttered as I started to walk faster, Natsu silently following on my trails.

I was enjoying the peace and quiet of the forest as I realized how much I was going to miss the peace and quiet. Natsu said that Fairy Tail was a really loud and rowdy guild so it's obvious that I'm not going to get any peace and quiet for a while. I heaved a tired sigh at the thought. I could always come by myself back here to the forest. Exactly! It's not like I'm going to be at the stupid guild hall all the damn time! And besides, it's not like they'll need me. Natsu is going to hang out with his team and leave me all alone so I guess it's best that I hang out over here at the forest where I don't bother anyone. It's like I didn't even join the guild, they won't even notice me there! Great! So it's all settled!

_Hang out in the forest and go over to the guild as little as possible. _

Maybe I should just go to do solo missions to keep my mind off of things and get some jewels because I could really use some jewels.

My head was spinning from all my thoughts and I mentally thanked the voice that knocked me out of them.

"Yo Winter, I was thinking that you should join Team Natsu!" He grinned and I blinked.

What? _What? _Now I'll never get some alone time! But...why would he want _me _on his team? I frowned. _  
><em>

"Why would you even want me on your team?" I asked calmly but he only smirked.

"Because you're my friend and besides, you're really strong!" He scratched the back of his head as he smiled sheepishly while I only sighed, but couldn't control the small smile that found it's way into my lips before quickly vanishing.

Way to ruin my plans Natsu. I'm flattered that he wants me to join his team but why me out of all the friends from his guild? I felt this weird warmth in me when he said that I was his friend. I'm slowly starting to get used to the fact that I've finally found a friend but I'm still a bit nervous and scared.

I glanced back at him when I noticed he was looking at me expectantly.

"So? Will you join?" He asked excitedly as I softly chuckled. Without thinking it twice, I slowly began to nod.

"Ok." I sighed as he cheered while pumping a fist into the air.

"Yosh!" He cheered again as he grinned. I smirked in response but it quickly vanished as I looked up at what seemed like an exit to the forest and my eyes grew wide. We're here and that means that I'll be officially joining Fairy Tail in less then 10 hours. The question was, where am I supposed to go until then? The guild hall must be deserted and I have no other place to go. I cursed mentally.

"I know what you're thinking, Snowflake." A voice behind me chuckled and I looked over my shoulders to find a droopy eyed Natsu smirking. I'll ignore the nickname for now since he must feel exhausted. I felt bad for a moment before it vanished as quick as it came. "You don't have a place to go and the guild is empty." He chuckled as I looked away in shame. I glanced back at the exit, thinking on what to do and where to go. "Well don't worry! You could stay at Happy and I's house!" He suggested in a cheerful way and I could practically hear his grin. I blinked, surprised that he would even think of such thing.

There is no way I'm staying at his house. Nope. If I've been living in the streets for years now, I can do it for a few more hours.

I shook my head furiously.

"Don't bother. I'll just stay here until the sun comes up." I spoke in irritation that he would even speak of such thing. I turned around and started walking away from the exit and towards a nearby tree. I heard some shuffling and when I looked over my shoulder, Natsu was now sitting on the grass with his upper body supported by a tree. He ha crossed arms and was now looking at me. I raised an eyebrow in confusion by his actions as I crossed my arms over my chest, mocking him.

"What are you doing?" I asked rudely and he shrugged.

"If you think I'm leaving you here all by yourself that you're absolutely crazy." He said while closing his eyes. I narrowed mine at him.

Is he _serious_?

"No. Get out of here Natsu." I growled at him but he didn't seem affected. He just sat there with arms crossed and closed eyes.

After 3 minutes of hard core glaring at him, I heard loud snores coming from his direction and my eyes grew wide. He literally fell asleep! W-What?! I didn't think he was serious! I shook my head furiously as I gripped said thing between my hands. My head has been hurting badly for a while now and all this thinking is making it way worse. _J__ust forget about him and go to sleep Winter!_ I sighed as I sat down on the soft grass before resting my head on the tree's bark and slowly closing my eyes. It took a while but sleep finally took over, taking me away from this world and shaking my fears and worries away.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone!**

**How's it going?**

**First of all,**

**MERRY (LATE) CHRISTMAS! **

**I hope you got what you wanted and that you ate as much food as humanly possible :-) **

**I ate a lot but didn't get any presents from Santa...how disappointing. OH WELL...WHO CARES?! :-) **

***************FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T NOTICED, IT IS _INDEED _WINTER THE GIRL ON THE COVER FROM THE STORY SO IF YOU WERE WONDERING, YES, THAT IS WINTER.****************

**Anyway, in this chapter, WINTER JOINS FAIRY TAIL YAY NOW EVERYONE'S HAPPY WITH LIFE...well everyone except her. **

**I hope you like this chapter and I apologize in advance for the typos and if Natsu is out of character... but honestly, I actually _don't _know how to write his character because he is fun and cool and dense and I just don't know how to write _that _type of behavior if ya know what I mean...? :-( **

**I was thinking on searching for a writer that could help me out with _his_ side of the story...? If you're interested on helping me with Natsu's character, PM me. :-) **

**REVIEW FAVORITE FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS STORY OR ELSE ACNOLOGIA WILL EAT YOU IN YOUR SLEEP ;-) **

**BTW, **

** I CHANGED MY NAME AGAIN BECAUSE I CAN'T DECIDE ON WHAT NAME ON KEEPING SO YEAH...:-)**

**BYE, I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE CHAPPY **

_TheIceBreathingDragon _

* * *

><p>Natsu's POV<p>

I felt something cold softly touch my shoulder, shaking me roughly as I groaned myself awake.

"stu...atsu...Natsu!" I heard a voice yell as I groaned again.

"Five more minutes Igneel!" I grunted as I rested my head on something hard..._really _hard. And that's when I remembered that I was still in the forest. I'm so tired and I just wanna sleep some more before going back to Magnolia...wait a second! I totally forgot that Winter was going to join the guild today! I'm so tired but I have to get up.

I lazily opened my eyes to find none other than Winter who had a frown over her lips and crossed arms. I rubbed my eyes as I suddenly felt my stomach growl. Man am I hungry! I slowly stood up and a big yawn escaped my lips. I stretched a bit before finally standing straight. I tilted my head in confusion as Winter's frown has yet to disappear.

"What's wrong?" I asked. My voice is sorta raspy since I was still a bit sleepy. Winter only shook her head, her hair softly shaking as well. I frowned. Why is she always frowning? "You _do _know that if you're sad about something you can just...ask me...right?" I asked with slight anger. She's such a weirdo, I mean , she's always sad! I'l never understand girls! But even though she's a weirdo, I want to be able to make her smile because honestly...no one deserves to be sad. No matter what they did or what they went through, they should never be sad. Especially the girl in front of me.

I grinned at the glum looking girl but she only glared at me in response. Why is she always glaring at me? Did I do something wrong?

"C'mon Winter! We better get you into Fairy Tail!" I grinned, trying to lighten up the mood (_her _mood) and started running out of the forest. I heard soft footsteps following but by the sound of them, she wasn't running.

I glanced up at the sky, finding the sun placed directly above from me, blinding me for a few seconds by the sudden burst of light. I guess it's noon. Everyone must be worried of my whereabouts but I'm completely sure that Mira and Gramps know that I'm ok...oh and Warren! I stopped for a moment before looking over my shoulder, checking if Winter was still behind me. Just as I expected, Winter was slowly walking a little far behind, her head hanging low and arms behind her back. Her hair was covering her eyes, well...her right eye since it's the only eye I could actually see. I frowned. What is she so sad about? I groaned softly. It's going to be hard to actualy get some light into her life, but I have to do it. For some reason, I just feel like I have to make this girl happy. It's stupid, I know...but hey, she's a friend and I don't like to see my friends sad. I turned to face her and she looked up, her facade held no emotion whatsoever and I wondered; what is going on up in her head? It'd be fun to be able to hear what she's thinking. I crossed my arms as a smirk creeped up my lips. If I challenged her to a race, she'd probably lighten up. She narrowed her dull eyes at me. Now that I noticed...her eyes kinda remind me of Juvia, except Winter's are a paler type of blue.

"Let's have a race! Whoever reaches the entrance of Magnolia first is the winner!" I grinned as I cut to chase, not wasting another second. She groaned while shaking her head. I took that as a no. "Aw, c'mon! Don't be a baby!" I taunted her as I smirked mischievously.

"No." She flatly snapped before I groaned, rolling my eyes. She started walking and kept going without looking back at me as she brushed beside me. I sighed, giving up. This girl is hopeless. What?! No she isn't! She just needs a bit of...kindness...? Even though I don't know what to do to actually make her crack a smile, I can't give up.

I slowly followed behind Winter as I noticed we were walking down a small hill and Magnolia was just up ahead. I grinned. Alright! I'm back home! I can't wait to see Happy and Lucy again! I'm so excited for Winter to join the guild! I want her to see how fun it is! I can't wait for her to be able to go on missions with Team Natsu! I bet her sadness will go away once she walks right into the guild and I can't help but feel joyful at the thought.

"Yo, Winter! Magnolia is just up ahead!" I grinned but she flinched. My grin vanished but instead of asking her what is wrong, I simply shrugged it aside and kept walking. With every step we took, we got closer and closer and after 3 minutes, we were finally in front of Magnolia's entrance as I flashed a smile. It's good to be back home! I wonder where Happy and Lucy are...? I bet they're waiting for me back at the guild! Sheesh, they just can't handle one day without me, huh? We'll just have to wait and see. I was now walking in Magnolia but when I looked back, Winter was still looking at the Magnolia entrance's sign with a blank look over her facade. I raised an eyebrow in both confusion and amusement as I walked over at the girl. I poked her arm as she quickly snapped out of her trance and jerked back a few feet. Man, when will she stop acting like this? Sheesh! I nudged my head forward, mentally telling her to follow me and she obliged with a slight glare. With a small sigh, I started walking. Magnolia was as quiet as ever, very few people were walking around and they all threw glances at Winter who was still behind me, staring down at the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw people looking at the girl beside me with wide eyes. Ok..._now _I'm confused. It's there something about Winter that I don't know? Well...I literally know nothing about her but...still. I glanced back at her but she was still staring down at the her feet. I decided that I should ask her her about her..."reputation" later. I kept walking when I felt the strong scent of food and my stomach grumbled.

"I'm hungry!" I groaned as I rubbed my belly. I need some food...now! I should ask Mira to cook something up for me, besides, she is an awesome cook! Just as I expected, Winter didn't make any noise possible but I shrugged it off. We kept walking in silence and I found it quite...uncomfortable but didn't say anything. I guess she doesn't want to talk. Step after step we got closer to the guild but was still nowhere in sight. All of the sudden, a wave of a strawberry type of scent washed over me and that's when I noticed Lucy's apartment near us. I grinned to myself as I thought of her forgetting her rent again. Also...I can't wait for her to meet Winter...again?! I bet she could help me on the task I have on making her happy! We were now away from Luce's apartment and that's when I saw the guild hall. I flashed a grin towards Winter who was frowning back at the building. _Ugh... _what now? She looked up at me...her eyes filled with fear. I stared for a second before grinning at her in a reassuring way and took her by the wrist. The contact of her freezing skin against mine always shocked me. She is _literally _freezing.

"Don't be afraid Winter! C'mon!" I yelled as I started to run in the direction of the guild hall, dragging her behind me since she struggled to keep up. I felt how she tried to free herself by using her other hand but my grip tighten. I heard a soft sigh as she finally gave up by running along with me. For a girl with long hair and an ankle-length dress, she runs fast. We were at least 15 feet away from the the guild doors when I freed her wrist from my hand to turn to look at her with a smirk. She was looking up at the Fairy Tail sign as I noticed how her eyes had regret in them. She had a deep frown on her lips and I scoffed. She snapped her head to look at me before I glared at her.

"Winter...c'mon, you can do this. I know you're afraid of meeting them but if you never get over it, you'll never be able to be happy." I half shouted. I knew from where we were standing everyone behind the doors would be able to hear us so I had to be careful with my tone of voice. Although I bet Wendy and that metal freak heard me. And Laxus too. They both piss me off. Winter's eyes turned blank. No emotion showing whatsoever. I gave her a small smile while scratching the back of my head. "Now c'mon! I want you to meet my family!" I grinned before turning around and walking up to the doors before kicking them open, Winter silently followed.

* * *

><p>Winter's POV<p>

Natsu's words rang in my head as he kicked open the large wooden doors; 'Winter c'mon you can do this.' He's right. I need to get over this silly fear about my secret being exposed. I should be happy...but I'm not. No matter how hard I try...I can't bring myself to smile. I slightly shook my head when I heard Natsu roar.

"I'M BACK!" He roared and I flinched as his loud voice. I lifted my gaze up from the ground but was found with pure chaos. Probably every single person in the guild broke out into a fit of cheers as some of them threw themselves on top of Natsu, asking him where he was and if he was ok. I sighed as I saw that nobody hadn't noticed me yet.

"Guys! Meet Winter!" I could literally hears his grin as I stared at my feet. The room fell silent, the only sound was probably of my heart dropping. I bet they're going to throw me out. I haven't even got the chance to look around and they are already kicking me out? My thoughts were all interrupted, and most importantly, incorrect as the guild started to cheer (again) and whistle. A few of them threw themselves on top of me and I felt like I couldn't breathe although they were like...five of them. To me, it felt like I was surrounded by people. They were all smiling and asking different questions. Some other people that were still seated were shouting their names but I couldn't even hear it from the cheers. I started to panic as they kept shouting. I forgot to mention, I may or may not be a little claustrophobic. I mean...can you blame me? My breathing picked up it's pace as I tried desperately to keep the cheers away from me by covering my ears with my hands. This is starting to give me a major headache and I feel dizzy too. I snapped my eyes shut while I started to back away even though the doors were right behind me. Wait a second...the doors! I opened my eyes, took one last glance at the overly excited people, and turned away, running out of there for dear life.

I knew they meant no harm, but they were just too loud! I bet they're never like this even though Natsu told me they were loud and rowdy almost all the time. So why were they so excited?

I ran and ran without looking back, I knew if I did, I would probably get distracted and fall. I carefully ran, trying not to get tangled up with my hair or step on the hem of my dress. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the Magnolia library and I took a sharp turn before running towards it. Maybe I could read for a while? Besides, it's not like any of them will bother to come look for me or anything...right? Well even if they do go searching for me, I don't think they'll search the library. The library it is! I'll just read for the rest of the day and when night time comes, I'll go back to the forest and make a run for it. Wait a second...I haven't eaten anything since I woke up! But the thing is...I'm not hungry. I'll just read for a while and go hunting at the woods later. I ran for at least 5 more minutes until I was finally at the entrance of the beautiful library. I pushed the gigantic door quickly before slamming it shut behind me, taking a huge breath and heaving an overly dramatic sigh. I looked around. It looks just like I remembered it from two days ago. Giant shelves with all types of books were lined up against the wall in a cute way. I sighed before walking towards an elevator. I decided on reading some romance again since it _is _my favorite genre. You would think I hate it since I'm an emotionless person (to you) but the truth is, I like it. A lot. I walked up to one of the shelves, searching for a book that I haven't already read. The last time I came here I read 2 and a half books because I never finished the third book thanks to a certain someone. I don't know what was going through my mind when I accepted to join the stupid guild. I truly regret it. They didn't reject me, on the contrary, they were very friendly. _Way _too friendly for my liking. Plus, they were being loud. I've decided that I was best not to join the guild because I just found out it's nothing like me. They're loud; I'm quiet. They're cheerful; I'm gloomy. They're friendly; I'm rude. They're nothing alike me. But I gotta admit, I kinda liked Natsu's company. It's the only thing I actually liked so far. I don't know what's wrong with me...I should have stayed back at the guild to at least get to know them but something in me demanded to leave and I guess I obeyed that demand. But what am I supposed to do now? _Just head back Winter! You're such a coward! _I growled at myself. I know I should go back and introduce myself properly, but...why am I holding back? Why? Why? Why? I threw the book I was holding at the wall and grabbed a fistful of my hair in frustration. What do I do? Natsu's right. If I don't get over my silly fears, I will never be happy. I have to go back, even if I don't want to. I have to go!

Completely forgetting about the book on the floor, I sprinted towards the stair and flew over them. I reached at the door knob and threw open the door, running at full speed back in the direction of the guild. This is my only chance of making friends and I really hope I haven't blew it yet. I have to say sorry for running off like that. But what would I say if they asked why? Sheesh! Making friends is complicated! I was running like crazy and I almost tripped thanks to my hair. When the guild hall finally came into view, I started to doubt my actions. I furiously shook my head. _No Winter! You have to do this if you want them to like you! Natsu's rght! You **are **coward! _I sighed at the thought but kept running. Two seconds later, I was standing right in front of the doors and I stopped. I looked at them with wide eyes, as if they were a two headed beast. I shook my head again before taking a deep breath and pushing the doors open.

"...and that's why we have to go find her!" I heard the very familiar pink haired dragon slayer's voice. I was suddenly filled with confusion when I saw every single guild member huddled up in a circle with Natsu in the middle. My breathing stopped when they all turned to look at me but I narrowed my eyes at them. I was so not going to lose my ground right here and now. I crossed my arms over my chest and turned my gaze to a random place.

"I'm sorry." I blurted out quite the corner of my eyes I saw Natsu smirking...proudly? I almost growled at him but held it in. I heard tiny little footsteps approach me and I dropped my gaze to find a very small, old man who kinda looked wise. I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"No. _We're _sorry." His raspy voice kinda startled me but I didn't quite show it. "I'm sorry my children acted the way they did and I hoped you haven't changed your mind about joining us." He asked meeting my gaze with a raised eyebrow. Wait a second...he isn't forcing me to join or anything. Should I really join? Or should I leave and never come back? I glanced at Natsu to find his lips on a thin line and his eyes filled with hope...? I seriously want to ask him why he wants me to join so badly. I seriously don't know what to say. Wait a minute... what happened to what I told myself back at the library? I came back because I decided that I wanted to join and now I'm doubting? Besides, if anything happens, I could always quit the guild! Yeah! That's it!

I sighed before nodding softly. Cheers could be heard through out the hall and I glanced back at a certain person to find him sitting fire from his mouth, burning a black haired guy's underwear on fire. Wait...why is he in his underwear? I quickly looked away and walked back to the tiny man.

"You may go over to Mirajane. She will give you your insignia." He said while chugging down a mug of beer. He took the mug off his dry lips and he gave me a cheeky smile. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Winter!" He cheered with a light blush on his cheeks. I narrowed my eyes at the old man before looking around. Who even is Mirajane? My questions were answered when a lilac haired girl approached me with a friendly smile.

"Hello, my name is Mirajane, but you can call me Mira!" She cheerfully said as I raised an eyebrow. "Come on, I'll stamp the insignia on you." She waved happily for me to follow and I did as I was told. She searched in some drawers for a second before pulling out what seemed like a stamp. She looked at me and smiled.

"What color do you want it?" She asked and I didn't even think twice.

"Pale blue." I coldly spoke as she nodded softly before gently pushing the stamp on the color that I indicated before walking back towards me.

"Where do you want it?" She asked nicely and I thought for a moment. Where do I want it? I don't want it on my shoulder since almost everyone in the guild has it there. My wrist? Nope. My ankle? Nope. My armpit? HAHA, no. Wait! I got it! It's not the best place but it's the only place I actually liked.

"Beside my right ear, above my neck." I mumbled and she nodded. I turned slightly and took my hair away, exposing my neck. I felt something odd shaped touch my skin closely to my ear.

"Alright! It's done! Welcome to Fairy Tail!" She congratulated by laughing slightly but I only nodded in response before turning to look around the guild hall. My hair now covered my ear once again, covering my new guild mark as well. The guild hall was big and roomy. The walls were made out of stone bricks and the tables along with the chairs were made out of wood. The bar was made out of wood as well and their were a few bar stools lined up against the counter. I got to admit, the guild hall is pretty cool. Now that I have officially joined the stupid guild I can go back to the library and finished the book that I threw against the wall.

I started to walk towards the exit until a female voice that I already recognized, interrupted me.

"Hey, Winter!" The blonde girl from the library, Lucy, yelled while approaching me with a warm smile. You were the one who made me cry the other day. You're lucky that I don't hate you...how could I? You're pretty and nice and friendly. I turned around and met her gaze. "It's nice to see you again! Do we live in a small world or what?" She chuckled as she finally reached me. I nodded in agreement but crossed my arms in impatience. "Where are you going?" She asked confused and I rolled my eyes.

"Library." I responded bluntly but was surprised when her eyes lit up.

"Really?!" She screeched and the whole guild fell silent. "Oops...sorry." She mumbled sheepishly as everyone returned to whatever they were doing. "Can I go with you? She pleaded with big puppy dog eyes and a pout across her lips. How come we just met and she's already treating me like we've known each other for years? I sighed. I wanted to go to the library to spend some time alone. I guess I'm gonna have to accept. I slowly nodded and she cheered. I rolled my eyes before turning around and starting to walk out of the guild.

"Yo Winter!" The familiar fire dragon slayer's voice called for me and I silently groaned. I turned to look at none other than Natsu as he had a gigantic grin plastered all over his face. "Welcome to the guild!" He said, still grinning. I rolled my eyes. Lucy was still beside me but a blue haired girl was now talking with her.

"Thanks." I mumbled and he smirked.

"Where are you going?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Library."

"Alone?"

I jabbed a thumb to the blonde girl and he grinned.

"It's nice that you're getting along with the rest of the guild. Especially with Lucy, she's literally in love with books." He whispered low enough for me to hear but not Lucy. I nodded in response and turned over to Lucy.

"Hey, are you coming or not?" I asked impatiently. She turned back to me before shaking her head slightly with a shy smile.

"Sorry Winter! Maybe some other time? I gotta help my friend Levy with something. Speaking of which...I'll introduce her to you, Levy!" She waved and the blue haired girl from earlier turned towards us. Natsu ran off to who knows where and I was currently stuck with two overly cheerful girls. The blue haired girl smiled warmly at me.

"Hi! You must be the new member! I'm Levy!" She smiled and I nodded.

"Winter." I told her my name nonchalantly and she smiled again. "Anyways, I'll be going." I stated before turning around walking out of the guild without a response from the two fellow bookworms.

My stomach rumbled and I rubbed it roughly. I'm hungry! I should go hunting! I breathed in deeply and started to run towards the direction of the exit of Magnolia. After 15 minutes, I finally reached the exit and quickly ran out and into the forest.

Well...let's get this over with.


	6. Chapter 6

**HAPPY (LATE) NEW YEAR'S EVERYBODY! **

**How have you guys been? Good? Bad? Well if your ****_New Year's _****was horrible, smile because 2015 has**** amazing**** surprises waiting for you, you just have to wait a little longer :) **

**Anyway, in this chapter, Winter goes on her first mission! But unfortunately, she picks to go alone! **

**************GUYS GUESS WHAT?! I'M THINKING ON WRITING A FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST/ FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD FANFIC! IF YOU LIKE THE IDEA THEN I SHOULD BE POSTING THE FIRST CHAPTER IN A FEW DAYS SINCE I HAVEN'T FINISHED WRITING IT YET! I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA ON WHAT TO WRITE ON IT BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WILL LIKE IT! OH WELL, I'LL GUESS I'LL JUST WAIT AND SEE :3**************

**JUST BECAUSE I'M GOING TO START WRITING A FMA FANFIC, DOESN'T MEAN I WILL ABANDON THIS FANFIC! THE UPDATES WILL BE THE SAME! ON SATURDAYS (OR SUNDAYS) THIS FANFIC WILL BE UPDATED, JUST LIKE ALWAYS :)**

**Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter although I find it quite boring and stupid. Boring because...I don't know, I just don't like this chapter. But I really hope you like it! **

**I'm sorry if they're any mistakes and typos, if they're any, please PM me so I can fix it. **

**I'M SORRY IF THIS CHAPTER IS TOO SHORT! IT WAS SO EXTREMELY LONG I JUST HAD TO LEAVE IT TO WHERE IT WAS BECAUSE I COULD NOT TYPE ALL OF THIS IN ONE DAY AND I USUALLY LIKE TO HAVE LAZY SUNDAYS SO YEAH, I'M SORRY!**

**PLEASE REVIEW...? PRETTY PLEASE? WITH CHERRY ON TOP? Tsk...you guys never review but hey...what's to expect? I guess you guys don't like me :( **

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN FAIRY TAIL NOR IT'S CHARACTERS BUT I _DO _OWN WINTER AND THE STORY'S PLOT. **

**Ok, BYE FOR NOW! ILOVEYOU!**

_TheIceBreathingDragon _

* * *

><p>Winter's POV<p>

As I finished eating a fair share of a deer I caught, I thought of what would I do now...go back to the library? I _could _go back to the guild. Besides, I haven't fully met everyone yet so I guess I should go back to meet the rest of them. Or maybe I should go sightseeing around Magnolia. I don't know but I think it's around 5 in the afternoon by judging the position of the sun. Well...I guess I should find a place to sleep as well. Hmm...maybe I should go on a mission to gain some jewels and be able to rent a place because I'm tired of the woods. Although I _do _have a handful of jewels I only use for traveling, I could use them to go on a train and be able to travel for a mission. What to do, what to do...go on a mission it is!

I stood up and brushed the dirt off my dress before slowly starting to walk out of there, leaving the deer in the same spot for another carnivore to consume. There was a peaceful quiet around the forest and I enjoyed it before going back to the noisy guild. I heaved a tired sigh.

I still don't believe (and honestly,_ can't _believe) how I got into this mess. Well...it's not a mess, but it bothers me in a way I myself can't understand. And it frustrates me because...how can't I understand my own feelings? It's ridiculous! I'm pretty much the only person in the whole world that can not read their own feelings. I'm think I'm losing my mind.

As I softly sighed again, I noticed that I was now walking pass the Magnolia entrance. I was so deep in my thoughts, that now I'm walking through the busy streets of Magnolia. I placed my hands behind my back and dropped my gaze to the stone brick road. Why have this pass few days been such a pain in the ass? And it's all thanks to the damn library. If I hadn't come to Magnolia's library in the first place, I would have never met Natsu or Lucy. And honestly, it's pretty much Natsu's stubborn attitude that I'm in Fairy Tail. But the thing is, I don't know if I'm complaining or not. I softly shook my head, my hair swinging side to side. I should really stop thinking about every little negative thing that crosses through my life and focus on the good things. Like...the guild! It's a freaking miracle that a guild hasn't rejected me and I honestly feel happy even though I don't show it. Yes, I'm still confused about all of this but it doesn't mean that I'm sad about joining the guild. I just have to meet them properly and maybe, just maybe...I may like them and they might like me back. But I bet that's not gonna happen. Nobody could ever like me even as a guild mate. I bet they'll kick me off the guild in a few months for being such a depressive person.

I chuckled at the thought.

That would be the cherry on top of my miserable life sundae. Oh well...it's their decision, not mine.

I kept walking with my head hanging low until I could see through my bangs the guild's outline and I sighed. What kind of job will I choose anyway? I haven't thought of that...maybe something easy. Capture some bandits or get rid of some thief...I don't know but I don't want something complicated because I'm only doing this for some jewels. I seriously want to find out what a bed feels like.

Step after step, I finally made it to the doors and I could hear from out here the ruckus they had in there and heaved an exasperated sigh. I could already feel my headache forming again but I have to get over it and at least try to be nice if I want them to like me. Yeah right...me? Nice? I don't think so.

_Just try, Winter! _I mentally scolded myself and shook my head furiously before gently opening the door and softly closing it behind me. I wanted to catch as little attention as possible so I could take a mission and leave in peace and most importantly...alone. Apparently nobody heard me come in because they all kept doing...whatever it is they're doing. My gaze fell to the floor and I softly started to walk towards what looked like a board filled with papers pinned to it. I guess that's the mission board...right? Once I was standing right in front of it, I lifted my eyes from the floor and quickly searched for a not too complicated mission that could give me enough jewels to spend the night in a cheap inn until tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll go on a higher priced mission because I want to be able to rent my own apartment.

My eyes flew over the board, searching for a simple job. There were a lot. From helping out in a cafe, to taking out a nocturnal beast that's been terrorizing a far away village. I chose a simple one but with a price that could help me stay in a cheap inn. I was supposed to take out some thugs in Hargeon. Great! It's not too far away and it's an easy job! The reward was 300,000 jewels so it was clearly enough to rent a room in an inn and have a decent dinner. I ripped the paper off the board and slowly made my way towards the counter where...Mira I think her name was?...Well anyways, Mira was talking to a tom boy purple haired girl while drying a mug. I cleared my throat and she stopped talking to look over at me. When her eyes met mine, a warm smile took over her lips. I sighed before showing her the paper I had and she read over it quickly.

"Oh...you're going on a mission? Already?" She asked curiously and I nodded silently. The purple haired girl approached me and smiled brightly.

"Hello, I'm Kinana." She friendly introduced herself and I nodded.

"Winter." I mumbled my name back to her and immediately turned to face Mira who was watching me with a weird look on her face. I narrowed my eyes at her. She snapped out of her odd trance and smiled.

"Ok then! You can go now, but be careful!" She warned harshly as she took out a big carpet full of papers were she scribbled something before closing it and placing the carpet back to where it was. I wanted to laugh at her for being such a good actress but simply rolled my eyes and with the mission paper on my right hand, turned around and made my way back to the exit.

There were literally chairs flying through the air and I swiftly moved to the right before a chair could smash against my face. That's when I noticed there was a full on brawl in the middle of the guild. Suddenly, I felt a fist collide with my face. In the blink of an eye, I was sent flying towards the nearest stone brick wall. The guild fell silent although some people didn't bother to stop, but instead kept fighting. Small gasps met my ears but ignored them as I easily stood up, shaking off the pebbles that were stuck on the fabric of my dress and some pieces of wood from the floor off of my hair. Once I was clean enough, I looked up and everyone was staring at me. Some in amusement, some in shock. But the one who didn't really look like cared was the raven black haired guy who always fights with Natsu and spends most of the time half naked. He was standing in the middle of the small crowd of people and I guessed that he was the one who (dared) punched me in the face. With an incredibly cold facade, I slowly made my way towards the guy but he spoke before I was halfway near him.

"Sorry about that. I thought you were Flamebrain." He nonchalantly spoke but I didn't respond but simply kept walking with the now torned mission paper in my clenched hand.

"What did you call me?!" I heard the unmistakable fire dragon slayer's voice yell furiously but the raven haired guy ignored him and kept his hard gaze focused on me. His eyes were narrowed and I growled. Loud enough for half of the guild members to hear. He raised an eyebrow in amusement. In a heartbeat, I had him pinned up against the nearest wall with an ice sword up to his neck. Small (barely high enough for an average human to hear) gasps but I ignored them.

"Gray-sama!" A female gasp filled the room and I smirked. What is it with her? It's not like I'm going to kill the guy. Besides, this guild fights constantly, not caring if someone gets severely injured so...this is nothing.

"I guess your name is Gray." I spoke coldly but he didn't answer. He didn't look afraid at all. I like this guy. He is brave and cold, just like me. From what I've heard from Natsu, he uses ice. Great! I might get along with this guy! Wait a second...he won't get along with a person that has a sword stuck up his neck. I narrowed my eyes at him before making my sword turn into tiny little snowflakes before flying away. I let him go before he chuckled as he rubbed his neck. I ignored him before turning around, slowly making my way to the doors.

"That was a pretty cool sword you had there." A voice spoke and I looked over my shoulder to find a smirking Gray with crossed arms. I ignored him again and kept walking out of the guild with the crumbled paper still in my hands.

"I wonder where she's going." A female voice whispered which I identified as Lucy's. I sighed but did not look back.

It was getting dark but I was still going to do the mission. It's easy and simple so it shouldn't take long.

The sky was twilight and the wind was picking up. I enjoyed the cold breeze that flew through my body as I kept walking through the quiet streets of Magnolia. The one who requested the mission was the mayor of Hargeon himself and at the bottom left corner of the paper said that the thugs have been stealing valuable things from stores and even people's homes. I don't blame them for not taking care of them, I mean, only a 10% of the residents of Hargeon use magic so I guess it is kinda difficult to find the right person for the job. But they shouldn't worry because Winter is going to the rescue! A soft giggle escaped my lips but a sigh quickly took over.

I wish I could be this funny with people. And carefree, too. I could be like that one day...I just have to allow some happiness crawl into my heart. Maybe with the help from the guild, I can break out of my shell.

I softly shook my head and was surprised to see the Magnolia station up ahead. I softly rubbed my head, the pain was gone but all this thinking is making me a bit dizzy. I walked into the station and looked around. There were very few people but some of them were arriving to Magnolia while others were buying their own tickets to leave. I saw a sign that said 'Hargeon' and quickly walked up to the booth which was near the sign. Behind the glass was a middle aged looking woman with black hair and a few hints of silver. She smiled softly.

"Would you like a ticket to Hargeon, young lady?" She sweetly asked and I nodded. She ripped a ticket from what looked like a machine and handed it over to me. I handed her a handful of jewels before she smiled. "Have a safe trip!" She waved softly and I nodded before turning around and walking to a nearby bench to wait for the train.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! **

**Woah. It's been a long time since I last updated. Two weeks to be exact! But, here's an early update! I thought I should surprise you cuties with a random update! **

**I've been really busy lately (thanks to school) and that is why I haven't update for two weeks. **

****Do you guys remember when I said I would write an FMA fanfiction? Well, I'm really sorry I haven't been able to upload the first chappie but I promise you guys I will upload it as soon as I make a cover for it!****

**This chapter didn't turn out like I wanted it to, but I hope you guys like it! **

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS NOT EDITED, THEREFORE, THERE WILL BE LOTS AND LOTS OF MISTAKES AND STUFF THAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE! I PROMISE I WILL EDIT IT IN THE FUTURE.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY NOR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, EXCEPT FOR WINTER AND STORY'S PLOT!**

**REVIEW, FOLLOW, FAVORITE. **

_TheIceBreathingDragon_

* * *

><p>Winter's POV<p>

I heard a loud whistle and snapped my head up. The train was now stopping in front of me and I stood up to walk over to the train. People were quickly coming out of the train while other people stayed inside the train. I gave my ticket to the conductor and he read over it before handing it back. I searched for an empty booth and softly slided into it. I rested my head against the window and softly let out a sigh. I'm literally constantly sighing. I wonder if I'm sick or something. Pfft...obviously not.

I heard a soft whistle and about two minutes later the train started to move. I don't know how long it's gonna take to get to Hargeon but I'm just going to lay here and do nothing. I don't even know what to think about but I'm so bored. I took my hair and flipped it to my left side, exposing my guild mark. I sighed and closed my eyes. I'm tired but I can't fall asleep because if I do, I might sleep through the Hargeon station and I definetely don't want that to happen. After 1 hour of waiting to reach the station I heard some armor clanking by my side but I didn't move. I was still in the same position as earlier, my hair to the side, exposing my guild mark and my head was still resting against the window. The clanking stopped abruptly by my side and I heard somebody slide in the booth in front of me. I slightly opened my right eye and right in front of me was sitting a red haired woman wearing a Heart Kreuz armor and she had a stern look. I closed my right eye before sighing and opening my eyes and sitting straightly. My eyes met hers but she didn't move. I had an emotionless look and my hair was now covering the guild mark. She cleared her throat.

"I'm Erza. A Fairy Tail member. While I was going to sit on a different booth I noticed your guild mark. Are you a new member?" She said softly but with a hint of seriousness. I nodded. She gave me an incredibly small smile. I haven't seen her at the guild today. Maybe she was on a mission? But why didn't she stayed back at Magnolia? I remember Natsu speaking of 'Titania', the Queen of the fairies, wich supposedly was named Erza. She doesn't look scary at all. "Do you mind telling me your name?" She spoke again.

"Winter." I mumbled and she smiled softly again before extending an arm towards me, expecting me to shake it. I hesitated but shook my hand in hers.

"Nice to meet you, Winter. Since I wasn't by the guild to welcome you I'll just say it now...Welcome to the guild." She said while looking out the window and I nodded. There was an odd silence but she broke it. "Why are you going to Hargeon?" She asked bluntly.

"Mission." I whispered. "Do you mind answering the same question?" I codly asked and she smirked.

"I was on a Mission. My mission consisted of collecting a famous painting from the mayor of Clover Town and deliver it to the mayor of Hargeon. Just as you, I'm on my way over there now." She said while closing her eyes and resting her hands on her lap. I nodded and looked out the window. It was now fully dark and the moon was full. I let out a tired sigh but was interrupted when I heard the train's whistle. I opened my eyes and right out the window was Hargeon's station. I heard the clanking of armor again and turned to see Erza standing up and slowly walking away. She turned back to look at me.

"Are you coming or not?" She sternly said and I glared at her. I softly stood up and started to walk pass her and out the train. Why out of all people in the world did I have to run into Erza? She's boring and stern! But then again...she's pretty similar to me. Without waiting for her, I looked around. The station was empty and only Erza and I were the ones there. I wonder why people are at their homes so early. It's barely 8 o' clock. I shrugged and started to walk out of the station. After 5 minutes I was finally out and Erza was beside me with crossed arms. Hargeon was beautiful. The houses were lined up one against the other and there was a beautiful port with lots of boats. Wow...I've never been here before. And I travel a lot! Ignoring Erza's presence, I started to walk around in search of the Mayor's house.

"Where are you going?" I heard her shout.

"In search of the Mayor's house." I bluntly half shouted back and I heard her chuckle.

"Just follow me." She yelled amused and I turned around to see her walking the opposite direction from me and I rolled my eyes before starting to follow after her. I didn't notice where we were going since I gazed at the ground but after what felt like forever, there was a beautiful mansion up ahead. Erza motioned for me to follow and I obliged. We walked through a pretty garden before walking up to two big doors. I sighed and my gaze fell to the ground again. I wasn't really paying attention to every little detail about the mansion and why should I anyway? With a loud squeak, the doors opened and a very funny looking butler appeared. He had a purple mustache and a blad head. He had glasses on and a basic butler uniform...duh.

"How may I help you ladies with?" Even his voice sounded funny! I wanted to laugh but I managed to hold it in.

"We're Fairy Tail wizards and we would like to speak to the Mayor about a job request, in her case and in my case, I'm the person that accepted Clover Town's job request and brought the famous painting." She formally spoke and I surpressed a roll of my eyes. The butler nodded.

"Yes, yes. Come in, come in. Mayor Eugene will be glad to see you." He spoke flatly and he motioned us to enter the mansion. We both did as we were told and let me say, the inside of the mansion was twice as pretty as the outside. I don't want to explain every little detail but honestly, it's way too elegant for my liking. The fat butler showed us to a gigantic living room and we sat down in one of the expensive looking couches. Right in front of us was a coffee table and behind the coffee table was another big couch just like ours, across from us. I looked around, this guy has a boat load of money if he can afford to buy this types of things. Then again, he is the mayor. Erza and I waited patiently and silently for the mayor to arrive. After what felt like an eternity, I heard a loud slam of a door and I threw a glance at the direction. A tall middle aged man with dark blue hair and a dark blue moustache approached us with two butlers following silently, one of them was the fat one that greeted us. The mayor was wearing a gray tux with a red tie and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The mayor sat down in the couch across from us and the butlers stood in each side. The mayor met my eyes and then move to Erza's who gave a respectful bow. I on the other hand, rolled my eyes and turned to look at the mayor. He nodded at Erza.

"What are your names?" The mayor asked with a raspy voice and I cringed.

"I'm Erza and she is Winter." She pointed to me and the mayor nodded. "I came to deliver a famous painting from Clover Town. The Mayor himself asked me to deliver it." She said with a respectful tone in her voice. I watched in amusement as out of thin air she made a suit case appear. Maybe she had it in her requip inventory? If you're asking yourself how do I know that she's a requip mage...I have my ways. The suit case was really big and took over more than half of the table. The mayor nodded and watched intently as Erza opened it and turned it around for the mayor to see. He rubbed his chin before smiling warmly.

"Yes, of course! I remember now! Thank you very much! I believe I shall give you you're reward?" He questioned and Erza shook her head.

"There's no need for that sir. The mayor of Clover Town is sending the reward back to my guild as soon as you contact him and assure him that the painting made it here safely." Erza said while looking at the mayor with reassurance. The mayor nodded.

"Alright then. Ty, contact the Clover Town mayor immediately if you please." The mayor motioned to a young looking butler who had light brown hair and soft green eyes. He nodded and turned around to walk away. The mayor turned to me expectantly. I cleared my throat.

"I came here because I accepted your job request. Something about thugs?" I bluntly asked and he nodded furiously.

"Yes! Thank goodness you've came! Those thugs really don't know when to quit! I've received complaints from residents about their valuable things being stolen none stop!" He said with an irritated tone and I only listened.

"I want you to find them and throw them behind bars! Luckily, they're not mages so it should be easy enough for you." He stated bluntly and I almost growled but held it in. "They always steal during the night so get out there and catch them! And yes, the reward is still the same. I will give you 300,000 jewels as promised once you throw them in jail." He explained and I nodded before standing up.

"I will do my best sir." I bluntly said and gave him a small bow before leaving the room with a silent Erza following behind. The fat butler lead us out of the mansion and into the front garden. After that, the gates opened and Erza and I walked out of there. I looked over at Erza who had a look of concentration.

"You can go back to Magnolia now. This is my job anyways." I spat and she turned to look at me with confusion.

"Are you sure you can do this by yourself?" She asked cautiously and I rolled my eyes. Even though this is my first mission, it's not like I'm going to mess up or anything. Well, at least I hope so. I nodded and she let out a sigh.

"Alright then, I'll be heading back to Magnolia." She informed and gave me one last look before turning away. "And be careful!" She shouted sternly and I sighed.

"Whatever." I sighed and turned around to walk into the opposite direction. A part of me wanted her to stay because I don't know what to do now. I could wait for the thugs to appear out of nowhere. Or I could go in search for them. Or lure them to me. But...how? Maybe I should do the first option and wait for them to steal something so I can go after them. Or I could rely on my trusty nose and ears to see if I could find them. Yep, that's exactly what I'll do. I sniffed the air in search of an odd scent but didn't catch anything.

I started to walk around through the dark streets of Hargeon. I sighed. I climbed on top of a building by holding tightly to a tube that was hanging from the side of the house and climbing it. Up here may be easier to find the thugs so it's way better if I stay here. I sat down in the edge and stared up at the moon, it looked beautiful and radiant from my view. It shone so brightly it reflected on the ocean. I took a deep breath and slumped my shoulders. At least up here it feels nice. I sat there staring up at the moon for like 20 minutes until I heard a slamming noise. My eras pricked up and I started to hear a lot of footsteps running towards this direction. My nose was filled with disgusting scents and I almost barfed right there and then. I slowly stood up and glanced around. I could barely see what was happening but I could see a group of people running with bags and I asumed those were the thugs. I smirked and chuckled when they came through the street I was standing right above from. Once they got close enough, I leaped from my comfy spot and landed gracefully infront of them. Shocked, they began to back away in unison and I raised an eyebrow in amusement before snapping a finger. They began to scream when their bodies began to slowly freeze up. Starting from their feet until completely covering their bodies. Before they fully got frozen, I took the chance and snatched three bags from three thugs. The other two thugs weren't holding any bags.

"You won't get away with this!" One of them growled and I chuckled in amusement. They were all covered in black. Black hoodies, trousers, boots and a few of them had scarfs on. They look more like thieves then thugs if you ask me. One by one, they froze completely and I sighed. Now I have to drag them all back to the police station. Wait a second...where is the police station? I groaned and rubbed my eyes. I'm tired! I took the bags and made the cobblestone road freeze up. It was a downhill, luckily. I threw the bags down the hill and they began to slide all the way down. I did the same to the frozen thugs and they all slided down the hill. With ease, I began to skate down the hill and when I reached the end, I noticed something that made me sigh in relief. There was a police station up ahead. I took the bags and left the thugs behind and walked up to the police station. I pushed the door open and I was greeted by a man that looked to be in his late thirties. He looked up from his desk and noticed the bags that were hanging from my shoulders.

"I caught the thugs that were stealing valuable things from everyone." I stated bluntly while throwing the bags to the floor and he stood up. "The thugs are outside. So if you please, lock them up." I nonchalantly said before walking out the station. I walked pass the frozen thugs and started to walk back to the mayor's house, or should I say, mansion. I felt dizzy and I was tired. Not exhausted, but tired. With every step I took, the mansion got more visible and prettier. Once I was outside the gates, they opened when they sensed my presence and I walked pass them. It took a while to finally reach the front door thanks to the huge garden but when I finally made it, I knocked loud enough for anyone who was behind it to hear. Two minutes later, the same fat butler from earlier greeted me with a raised eyebrow.

"I took care of the thugs." I said calmly while picking at my nails. He nodded furiously before motioning me to come in and take a seat. I walked inside the same living room and sat in the same couch from earlier today. Five minutes later, the mayor came out in the same outfit from earlier. He sat down across from me.

"Well?" He asked eager to know the answer and I simply nodded.

"I took care of them." I informed flatly and he smiled widely.

"Oh thank you very much! I shall give you your reward right away!" He cheered while standing up and walking away before coming back with an envelope in his hands. "Here's the reward! 300,000 jewels as promised! Thank you very much! Arigato! Arigato!" He kept saying thanks and it made me more tired. I nodded and gave a small wave before turning around and walking away. Once I got out of the mansion and out of the huge garden I sighed and stretched. Now I need to find a place to stay the night because tomorrow I'll be heading back to Magnolia. I looked around while walking. Hmm...I wonder if they're any inns around here. My question was answered when I saw a small building that said 'Inn' in big golden letters and I sighed in relief. Great! Now I get to find out what a bed feels like! I pushed open the glass door and walked up to young man who had blonde hair and odd red eyes. He was sitting in a desk writing something and I cleared my throat. He snapped his head to face me and he sighed.

"What can I help you with?" He asked with a monotone voice. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I want to stay for the night." I stated cooly and he nodded before taking out a key from a drawer. I gave him enough jewels to spend the night and took the key. Or more like snatched it from him before walking towards the stairs and climbing them up to my floor wich was number 3 and the room number was 14B. I walked up to the door and with the key, opened it. My nose was filled with a flowery scent and I looked around the room. It was pretty comfy looking. It had one twin bed with a window beside it. The curtains were a pale yellow and so were the bed's cushions. There was a bed side table with an odd looking lamp. There was a door that lead to the bathroom wich was decorated with pale yellow. I sighed. It looks really comfy. I decided to go to sleep since I'm tired and I have to go back to Magnolia tomorrow.

Once my head touched the pillow I felt like I was in heaven and instantly fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi there!**

**I have decided to upload another chapter because I want the story to quickly progress because a lot of things are going to be happening and I'm super pumped! **

**In my opinion, I don't really ****_love_**** this chapter but it's ok...right? Hehe.**

**Anyway, I hope you like this chappie! And I should be updating again tomorrow since Saturday is the normal update day. **

***WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS NOT EDITED! I'M SORRY PLEASE DON'T HATE ME IF THERE A LOT OF MISTAKES****AND STUFF THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE BUT IN THE FUTURE, I WIL EDIT IT!***

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN FAIRY TAIL BUT I DO OWN WINTER AND THE STORY'S PLOT! **

**REVIEW, FOLLOW AND FAVORITE :-)**

_TheIceBreathingDragon_

* * *

><p>Winter's POV<p>

"I hope you enjoyed your stay with us. Come again!" He said with forced joy. I rolled my eyes and turned around and made my way out of there. The only thing I actually liked about the damn inn was the freaking bed. Not the service, or the fact that they don't even serve food! Ugh. I need food! I walked out of the building and was met with a warm breeze. The sun was still not completely out so it still looked pretty early. Probably 7:30 or 8 o' clock. I took a deep breath before starting to walk to a random direction, mentally praying that this is the right way to the station. There weren't many people out but I saw a few. The majority were just taking a morning stroll while the others were going to work. I softly walked through the streets of Hargeon in a peaceful silence. I saw a butterfly fly towards me before landing on my nose, I crossed my eyes to see it standing on my nose without a care in the world. I giggled softly before it fluttered it's wings and flew away. I watched it go before it vanished from my sight and I smiled softly. I feel so relaxed and...happy. The morning was beautiful although I didn't eat breakfast and I was hungry. There wasn't many people around and the warm breeze made me feel at ease. I heaved out a relaxed sigh and kept walking. Minutes later after me asking where the station was because I got lost, I finally found it and mentally cheered. I walked up to a booth that said Magnolia and bought a ticket. I quickly saw the train and slightly ran to it and showed my ticket to the conductor before he gave it back and granted me permision to board the train. I got in and looked around for an empty booth and quickly found one. I slided into it and sighed. Oh well...I had to go back to Magnolia eventually, even if I liked Hargeon, my guild is in Magnolia and I can't just abandon them. That's low even for me. I rested my head against the window and closed my eyes, waiting for the train to start moving. I remembered that I still haven't met all of the Fairy Tail members and how I keep ignoring them and leaving the guild. I should give them a chance. Besides, they've been really friendly and nice to me so I guess I could at least meet them all. But I'm starving so I should go hunt before going back to the guild. Or maybe that Mira girl could cook me something. I mean, I've never tasted normal food but I've always wanted to. I wonder what would she make me? I guess I'll just have to wait and find out for myself. I heard a loud whistle and the train started to move. I sighed and looked out the window. The station was now fading out of my sight and a thick forest quickly took over. Everywhere I looked was green. Trees, trees and more trees. How boring...I guess I'll just take another nap. I closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to take over. After what felt like minutes passed, sleep didn't take over and I found myself bored out of my mind. Could this get anymore boring? My thoughts were interrupted when I heard an infant crying in the distance. As the seconds passed I heard the crying get louder and closer and I looked to my right and almost instantly, a little girl came crying to the booth.

"Mama! Papa! " She cried and I took I guess...she was seperated from her parents. She had pitch black hair that was tangled up in a braid. She wore what seemed like a cow girl's type of clothing and had a cowboy hat on her head. I raised an eyebrow in confusion and she glanced at me. Her eyes were full with tears and her bottom lip was trembling. In a heartbeat, she cried louder and ran towards me before clinging to my leg and my eyes went wide.

"Please help me! Mama and Papa were left behind! Now I'm all alone!" She cried into my dress and I didn't move. What am I supposed to do now? She kept crying into my dress and I was thinking of what to do with her. I softly patted her head and she looked up at me with big eyes full of tears. I gave her a soft smile.

"Don't worry. I'll take you back to your Mama and Papa." I softly assured and she smiled but the tears in her eyes still flew down her rosy cheeks. "What's your name?" I asked curiously and she sat down beside me while wiping away the tears in her cheeks.

"Asuka." She whimpered and I smiled at the gloomy girl beside me. I hate being mean to little kids. I can be mean to adults and I won't care but I can't just be rude to little kids if they've never done anything bad to me before. I actually like kids, but adults are a whole different story.

"My name's Winter." I softly whispered and she met my gaze. She was no longer crying but her cheeks were rosy pink and she kept sniffling. She smiled at me. "Do you mind telling me where did you get seperated from your parents?" I asked and looked out the window. We were getting closer to Magnolia by the second and I still didn't know what to do with the girl. She dropped her gaze to the floor and I saw how tears started to fall from her eyes again.

"Me, Mama and Papa were in Hargeon but we were on our way back to Fairy Tail, our guild." She whimpered and my eyes grew wide. This little girl is a Fairy Tail member along with her parents?! "But I went ahead and boarded the train without them and the train started to move and I couldn't go back to them." She sobbed silently and I sighed.

"Don't worry. I happen to be a Fairy Tail member myself, I'm new so that means I can take you back to the guild and wait for your parents to arrive." I smiled at her and her eyes lit up.

"You're a new member?!" She shrieked and I nodded. She stood up in the seat next to me and gave me a toothy grin.

"Thank you for taking care of me Winter!" She laughed and threw herself at me while wrapping her tiny arms around my waist. I giggled and patted her head. She let go and gave me one more smile before sitting beside me again. She was happily talking about her parents and how much fun it is to go on missions with them until the train reached to a stop and I glanced out the window and saw that we were now in Magnolia's entrance. I looked back at the little girl beside me and I gave her a soft smile and offered her my hand wich she took with a grin. I started to walk out of the train and into the Magnolia station and I recognized a few scents nearby. While holding Asuka's hand, I looked around and found in the distance a group of Fairy Tail mages. Searching frantically for something, was Mira, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, and a few other people wich names I didn't know. Wait a second...I bet they're looking for Asuka. I looked down at the little girl who was looking up at me with a smile. I returned the gesture before slowly starting to approach the Fairy Tail mages. Once I got closer with Asuka, Mira noticed me and when she saw me, relief hit her face like a train and she ran up to me with a giant smile on her face. Seconds later and one by one, the rest of the Fairy Tail mages followed her with relief all on their faces. Once Mira was in front of me she knelt down and hugged Asuka, who was still holding my hand. I was going to let go of her hand but she only squeezed harder and I raised an eyebrow in confusion. Is there something wrong with her? The rest of the group were now surrounding me and Asuka and one by one they all gave Asuka a hug and I was still fighting for her to let go of my hand but she kept refusing to let go of mine and I gave in. Mira approached me with a huge smile on her lips.

"Winter thank goodness you found Asuka! Bisca and Alzack contacted us via lacrima and told us that they were seperated from Asuka. We were really worried so we all came and searched for her but it seems like you already did!" She giggled. I only looked down at the ground, refusing to meet anybody's gaze. I heard a loud laugh and recognized it as Natsu's

"Winter you're the best!" I looked up and he was now standing next to me with a huge toothy grin while giving me a thumbs up. I shook my head in disapproval and knelt down beside Asuka who still refused to let go of my hand. She gave me a smile and I returned the gesture.

"Asuka, you can let go of my hand now." She frowned but nodded and slowly let go of my hand. I smiled at her before patting her head and standing straight. I turned around and everyone was smiling at me.

"What?" I spat and they all smirked, as if they were all synchronized. I sighed and dropped my gaze to the ground. From the corner of my eye I saw Asuka looking up at me with a worried expression. I shrugged it off and turned around to leave but a voice caught me off.

"You aren't going anywhere." Gray spoke and I felt an arm creep up my shoulder and I gasped. I looked over my shoulder and found Gray looking at me with a serious expression. At least he was clothed. That's a relief because if he touched me while being half naked so help me I would have- "I think is time we gave you a proper welcome to the guild, don't ya think?" He interrupted me from my thoughts. I fully turned around and he had a smirk on his lips and I mimicked him. I looked at the other mages and they were all nodding in agreement. Mira walked up to me with a small smile and hands behind her back.

"Since you joined the guild, you haven't been around a lot so we couldn't really introduce you to everyone. But now that you got here from your mission we can finally introduce you to everybody. Wait a second...now that I remebered, how did your mission go?" She asked nicely.

"Good." I spoke dryly.

"That's great! So your first mission has been a succes!" She softly clapped her hands and I saw Natsu from the corner of my eye pout.

"No fair! I wanted to go with you on your first mission!" He whined and Mira let out a soft giggle. I turned to look at him and I gave him a small apologetic smile, well I think it was a smile. I don't know but I hope it looked like one. He stopped pouting and grinned at me in response. "I guess I could go on your second one...I'll let it slide just this once! But don't go thinking that I'm gonna let you hog all the fun!" He smirked and I rolled my eyes at him. Everyone around us was now smiling and I couldn't help but smile a bit myself. They were being super duper nice to me so I could at least reward them with a smile...right?

"Let's head back to guild everybody! We shall give Winter a proper welcome party, Fairy Tail style!" Natsu yelled and everyone cheered and I only dropped my gaze to the ground and closed my eyes. I felt so shocked by them. They were being so caring and nice and I just wanted to bawl my eyes out but I know I can't do that right here and now. I softly shook my head, desperately fighting back the tears and sucessfully winning. I no longer wanted to cry but I still felt sad. Everyone started to run back to the guild and I was the only one to stay back. I glanced up and watched them run cheerfully and loudly. But I saw how Natsu abruptly stopped, turned around and looked at me in confusion. Everyone was still running their hearts out and I could barely see them, seconds later they vanished from my sight and only Natsu remained. He walked up to me and looked at me with worried filled eyes. I sighed and softly shook my head, mentally telling him that I'm fine. The tears still wanted to come out but I was in a one sided fight with them. But I was now losing, the tears were now winning against me and I felt them gather up in my eyes and I sighed once again. Thank goodness my hair covered my eyes or else Natsu would see me in this pathetic state. But even if he couldn't see my tears, he could smell them and I mentally cursed at him. I took a deep, shaky breath and snapped my eyes closed.

"Hey...what's wrong?" I heard him softly ask and I felt how he gently tapped my shoulder. I flinched at his contact and cowered away. I didn't want him to be here with me. I just want to be alone right now. No...right now I just want to meet the rest of the Fairy Tail members and have something to eat because I'm starving and my stomach is starting to growl. I bet Natsu could hear it if he focused enough on his hearing. I almost laughed at the thought but cursed myself when it came out more like a whimper.

"Natsu...please, j-just leave me alone for a while." I growled at him but he didn't seem affected. He positioned himself right in front of me and knelt down so he could see my eyes and I looked away. Why is he doing this?! Can't he just leave me alone for a minute?! "Go. Away." I snarled but he still didn't move. The tears haven't come out yet and I focused on keeping them from falling freely from my eyes.

"No. Not until you tell me what's wrong. We're friends Winter, you can tell me anything, especially the things that are bothering you." He asked with a slight hint of anger and I snapped my head to meet his eyes. I glared at him and turned around, I started to walk in the direction all of the Fairy Tail mages went to. I immediately heard footsteps behind me and I sighed. I don't want him to hate me or anything, I just...don't want to tell him what I'm feeling right now. My head was hanging low, my arms tightly wrapped around myself and a deep frown across my face. I'm not comfortable with this. Yes, I somehow feel happy that they want to throw me a welcome party, but I just can't seem to put my guard down and let some happiness crawl into my heart. I heaved a sad sigh and took a strand of my long, white hair and twirling it between my fingers. I don't know what to do. I feel so lost and...alone. But the ironic thing is that I'm not alone; I've joined a guild and they are all treating me like a long lost friend. But I still feel lonely and sad. How? How can I break through this freaking walls that are keeping me from being happy? I can't take it anymore! I'm done from keeping it all to myself! I want somebody to help me, to be my shoulder to cry on. I'm tired of keeping every little thing that makes me sad to myself. I just want a friend...but hey, I have one right behind me.

I stopped walking and I felt Natsu stand by my side. I closed my eyes.

"N-Natsu." I whispered weakly. "Please, h-help me."

And once again, I broke down.

My knees gave out and I almost made contact with the ground but I felt a pair of arms catch me.

This is too much for one girl. My nasty past not only consisted of rejection. It consisted of many death and loss of people I loved. My best and only human friend, Faela, lost her life just to protect me. My foster mother, Nora, lost her life because I couldn't protect her. I had an exceed myself named Foo, he abandoned me and I would never forgive myself for letting him go so easily. My first and probably last boyfriend, Kai, lost his life thanks to a dark guild named Raven Tail. Once, I was helping a girl 'my age' take care of a beast, and even though I didn't cared deeply for her, the beast got a hold of her and she was desperately calling for my help, but I didn't reach her in time and she lost her life. When I saw her lifeless body in the ground I felt such sadness and guilt. I'm a horrible person. For letting people I cared about die and for allowing others to leave me so easily. I may have once said that I was unexperienced in love, but the truth is, I lied and I'm scared. Scared of caring for somebody and losing them because of death or because they don't want to know anything about me. That's one of the many reasons why I didn't want to join Fairy Tail in the first place. I don't want to get so cuddly with them for them to abandon me later on or worst yet, I don't want to care for a person, for example; Natsu, and after developing such care for him, he'll lose his life because I will never forgive myself. It's bad enough that I've lost so many people in my life and I don't want to lose more people. That's why I didn't want to join this stupid guild. I may be a coward in your eyes, but go ahead and judge me! Judge me of my insecurities! Because that's how people up to this day are! They're heartless and cruel! And I may be heartless too, but I would never judge a person because of their past or weakness. I could never, not after everything that has happened to me. Not after everything I had suffered. Would you like to know more of my horrible past? Because I can keep going for the whole day. Besides, it's barely 10 am and I have nothing important to do. Ok then... wanna know the real reason people call me The Queen of the cold? People believe that I am truly evil. That I was the one that killed that girl and not the beast. People believe that I have no heart. People believe that I'm the main reason that nightmares exist. People believe that I'm the coldest person you could ever meet. People believe that by just looking at me, you freeze for eternity. And that hurts. It fucking hurts. People treat me like I'm a demon. Like I'm their worst nightmare. Like I'm the one to blame for every little bad thing that happens. People fear me so much that instead of using Zeref's name, they use mine instead. Once, I was visting a small village and they brought their special forces to defeat me. Of course I didn't hurt them, I simply left. You guys clearly don't know how glad I am that Magnolia hasn't done that to me...yet. Yes people tremble in fear when they see me, but I try to ignore it as much as possible. This is simply way too much for me and I just want it to stop. Somebody please make it stop! I don't want this pathetic life! What did I ever do to be treated like this? To lose so many people I loved while at the same time, suffer from rejection. I give up. I truly give up. Whoever was behind this stupid game has won because I give up. And the cruel thing is, that everything I just told you wasn't even half of my horrible past.

I felt tears streaming down my face, refusing to stop. I thought I was going to crash into the ground but when I felt a pair of arms grab me and embrace me in a hug, it only made everything worse. I wasn't sobbing uncontrollably but my breathing got way too quick for my liking and I found it extremely hard to breathe. I felt dizzy and I had an extreme headache. My breathing got quicker by the second and before I knew it, I gave out. My eyes slowly snapped shut and my legs went weak. The last thing I heard was Natsu calling my name.

.

.

.

Natsu's POV

Fear rushed through my veins as I saw Winter pass out in my arms. Something is seriously wrong with her. I picked her up bridal style and started to run back to the guild. As I looked down at Winter, her hair was covering half of her face but I could still see the tears streaming down her cheeks. The salty scent filling my nostrils. I gritted my teeth. I know Winter has had a bad past, but I think it may be more horrible than I thought and now I want to find out more about it. I want to get to know her but I know she doesn't even trust me enough to ask me to go on a job with her. Yes, I'm still upset about her going without me on her first mission but that isn't my main concern right now. My main priority right now is to get her back safely to the guild and have Wendy check on her.

I started to run faster and after several minutes, I finally made it to the guild. I kicked the doors and they flew opened. The guild fell silent.

"Where's Wendy?!" I shouted frantically while looking around, searching for the girl. I heard gasps from around me but paid them no attention.

"Natsu-san!" I heard a soft voice shout and I looked at the direction it came from. Wendy was running towards me and I mentally begged her to check up on Winter who was now whimpering, I glanced down at her. She had a huge frown on her pale face and the tears won't stop from falling from her closed eyes. I frowned and looked at Wendy.

"Let's go to the infirmary! I can work better with my magic there!" She yelled while looking at Winter sadly. People were now surrounding me and Wendy and I could see Gramps frowning. But then again...everyone was frowning. I nodded and ran to the infirmary. I kicked the door open and jogged to the nearest bed, settling Winter carefully on it. She started to squirm but she didn't wake up. When she suddenly stopped moving and for a moment, I thought she stopped breathing as well. I focused on my hearing and after several seconds, I finally heard her soft breathings and I gave out a sigh of relief. Wendy quickly started to check up on her and started to use her magic. If she's using her magic then there's something seriously wrong with Winter.

I heard footsteps behind me and I glanced over my shoulder to see Gramps, Mira and Lucy. The others must be waiting outside. Carla was silently beside Wendy with furrowed brows. Wendy stopped using her magic and was now panting.

"Wendy, you over did it." Carla stated flatly but she shook her head.

"I'm fine, Carla." She looked up at us and frowned. "I still don't know what caused her to pass out, but she is currently in a state of coma. So it's going to take a while for her to wake up." She sadly spoke before her gaze dropped to the ground. I clenched my fists. Something is really, really wrong here and I'm going to get to the bottom of it.

"Is she going to be ok?" Lucy spoke softly while glancing at the still crying Winter. Wendy nodded softly.

"She should be alright." She assured before Carla rushed her to take a seat and rest. Since Wendy was too tired, she obeyed.

I glanced down at Winter and my eyes went wide when she released a piercing scream. It stopped several seconds later and everyone in the room was now staring in shock at the white haired girl.

"What is happening to her?" A teary eyed Mira spoke weakly and Gramps was silently gazing at Winter.

"What do we do?" Lucy spoke nervously and I noticed from the corner of my eye how she had closed eyes and crossed arms.

"We wait." Gramps finally spoke in a stern voice before turning around and leaving the room, silently following, was Mira. I heard Lucy sighed.

"Natsu, what're you going to do now?" She asked softly and I glanced at her. She had a sad look in her eyes and I sighed.

"Wait." I closed my eyes.

"Ok, I'm going to be back home if you need me." She sighed before walking out of the room, I nodded even though she couldn't see me.

What am I supposed to do now? I can't just sit here and wait for her to wake up and start asking her questions. I'll just leave her to rest and I guess I'll come to check up on her by the end of the day. I threw one last glance at her before slowly making my way out of the room. Another piercing scream interrupted me and I snapped my head towards Winter who was now balling the sheet of the bed in her hands. Oh-oh. The sheets were starting to freeze up and I found myself gripping my hair. What do I do now?! Should I call for help? What?! I'm the great son of Igneel I can take care of this myself! I made my way back to the bed and lighted up my right fist in fire before slowly gliding it above the frozen area. I started to panic when the ice didn't melt. What do I do? What do I do? The bed was slowly being covered by ice and I tried desperately to melt it. Why isn't this ice melting? What kind of ice is this?! I growled in frustration and lighted my other fist, gliding both of them above the bed but failing miserably. There's nothing my fire can't melt! How come ice is the exception?! I'm so gonna interrogate Winter when she wakes up because right now, I'm confused as hell. The ice started to creep down to the floor and I furiously swiped my fists and tried to melt it. Maybe if I ask help from Romeo and Macao, I could melt this stupid ice. This sucks! How come I can't melt this puny ice?! That question will haunt me for life.

The ice started to cover the wooden flooring and I let out a small yelp. I put out the fire and ran out of the infirmary. Once I made it out I started to shout frantically.

"Guys! Take a look at this! I can't melt this stupid ice!" I said while waving for them to check it out. Gramps raised an eyebrow before slowly making it's way towards the infirmary. Mira, Lisanna and Elfman stook together and walked in. Wendy came running despite being tired and I felt a wave of pride run through my body. Ice princess along with Erza walked pass me and I glared at the Stripper. I hate him so much. I walked in and I heard a familiar voice shout.

"Natsuuuu!" I heard Happy's voice called and I turned around. Happy flew to my side and looked at me with big sad eyes. "What's going on?" He asked with a small frown and I lightly patted his head.

"Don't worry lil buddy, Winter passed out and she's literally freezing the infirmary. But she should be ok." I said trying to make him feel better although he hasn't even met Winter yet. He slowly nodded before following me inside the infirmary. My eyes went wide when I saw the scene in front of me. The whole room was frozen and Winter was frantically screaming. Wendy was desperately trying to calm her down but didn't make any progress. I felt fear creep through my spine, this is the third time I'm saying this but, there is something terribly wrong with the girl in front of us.


	9. Chapter 9

**_READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW I PICTURE WINTER'S DRAGON FORM._**

**Hi guys! **

**WOW. THREE UPDATES IN A ROW! I DESERVE AN AWARD! **

**Anyway, I hope you guys like how I picture Winter's dragon form, but if you don't, that's ok. But you're going to have to picture any dragon you want WITH THE EXACT SAME SIZE AS THE DRAGON I PICTURE HER AS.**

**Well...drum roll please...**

**The dragon I picture Winter as is named as...**

***drum rolls***

**TOOTHLESS FROM HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.**

**OOPS.**

**It's ok if you don't like Toothless, just like I said, if you don't like Toothless, you can just picture Winter as any dragon as you want but it HAS TO BE THE EXACT SAME SIZE AS TOOTHLESS...WELL...BIGGER. **

**Just like I said up there^, I want you guys to picture Winter as Toothless but instead of black scales, white and instead of green eyes, blue. AND, please picture Winter a bit bigger than Toothless, like a foot or 2...and longer too. **

**AND YES, I MADE WINTER A DOWN DRAGON BECAUSE I HAVE AN AWESOME PLAN FOR HER! SO, CREDITS TO THE HTTYD CREATORS!**

**Ok now, I don't like this chapter very much but I hope you guys like it! **

**THE SONG THAT WINTER SINGS IS CALLED "PALE" AND 'WITHIN TEMPTATION' SINGS IT.**

**_OMFG GUYS! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE 1K+ READS! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HAPPY IT MAKES ME THAT YOU'RE READING MY STORY!_**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS NOT EDITED! I'M SO SORRY IF THERE A LOT OF MISTAKES AND IF SOME STUFF IN THIS CHAPTER IS CONFUSING. SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE, I'LL EDIT IT.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN FAIRY TAIL NOR TOOTHLESS' IMAGE. WHAT I _DO _OWN IS WINTER AND THE STORY'S PLOT.**

**REVIEW, FAVORITE & FOLLOW.**

_TheIceBreathingDragon_

* * *

><p>Winter's POV<p>

I sat up abruptly in what felt like a bed, panting like I just ran a marathon. I frantically checked my surroundings. I let out a small gasp as I watched the frozen room. It looked like an infirmary, with all the cabinets filled with medicines and the beds lined up beside each other. Since the room was completely frozen, I assumed that it was my work. I gripped my head between my hands still gasping for air. I was slightly trembling and I felt cold. It shocked me because I've always loved the cold. But for this once I feel like I'm freezing and in desperate need for warmth. I snapped my eyes shut and tried to calm myself down but failing miserably. I glanced around but there wasn't any sign of life around me. I choked down a sob as I remembered the horrible nightmare that I had to live through. That stupid nightmare will haunt me until my last breath. I furiously shook my head and felt how the tears started to fall freely from my eyes. I can't take this anymore. I'm losing my absolute mind. With tear filled eyes, I frantically tried to stand up but for some reason, I was too weak to do so and collapsed weakly on the ground. My arms were supporting my body and I saw a door at least 10 feet away from where I was. My breathing was quick and I gulped. Wait a second...how long have I've been out? Where am I? Am I in the guild's infirmary? I gripped tightly a small bed side table and managed to get up. I have to get out of here and get some fresh air or else I will never calm down. I don't know what is happening to me but I know it's not good. Either is a horrible depression or a freaking panic attack, I don't know. And honestly, I don't want to know. I started to take slow steps towards the door but when I was 5 feet away I collapsed again. I let out a scream of frustration. I have never felt so weak before, so...fragile. I feel like a puny flower that can be easily stepped on by everyone. I was staring at the door with tears pathetically streaming down my cheeks like waterfalls and I was furiously trying to feel some warmth by wrapping my arms around myself but it only made it worse since my own body never feels warmth because of my magic. I sat there shaking furiously from the cold bawling my eyes out praying for something good to happen.

I heard the door open softly and a surprised gasp but I didn't move. I couldn't even tell who it was and it worried me. I just sat there hugging myself wishing that I could disappear. I miss my foster mother so much. If she saw me like this she would sweetly try to cheer me up. But no...life just has to mock me. I heard hurried footsteps approach me and I did my best to drag myself away, making contact with the bed. Whoever it is better leave before I get from sad to mad. My teeth were chattering and I let out a surprised gasp as I felt a pair of arms carry me bridal style and set me softly on the bed. Holy shit. Whoever it is, is hot as hell. It made me feel warm and I tried to grasp that warmth that I was feeling but when the person backed away I almost let out whimper. I cracked open my eyes and saw none other than Natsu staring back at me with worried filled eyes before turning away and running out of the room.

"N-no." I whispered hoarsely. My throat was hurting and I was seriously wondering how long have I've been out. He didn't stop but kept going until he was at the door.

"Wendy! Come quick! Winter woke up!" He shouted and looked back at me. I sat up on the bed and tried desperately to stand up, luckily I succeeded. "Hey! Don't stand up!" I heard him shout and he quickly made his way towards me. I growled. I may be sad but it doesn't mean that I want his help. I started to shakily make my way to the door but he stopped right in front of me, blocking my exit. I looked up to meet his eyes and he had a serious gaze. My eyes were still filled with tears and my breathing was still quick.

"Please, move." I begged dryly but he refused. A small bluenette girl with a white exceed flying by her side, came running into the room and I took a shaky step back. I gulped, I felt dizzy and weak and I just want to get out of here.

"Winter-san!" The girl gasped and quickly made her way towards me and slowly grabbed my trembling arm and pulling me gently towards the bed. I only closed my eyes and followed silently. The sooner I finish this, the sooner I can leave. My teeth were loudly chattering and I looked around, trying to find a blanket but to my horror, they were all frozen solid. I rested my head back against the wall, gazing at the frozen ceiling.

The bluenette girl with the white furred exceed was beside me looking me up and down and I wanted to question her but kept my mouth shut and gaze up at the ceiling. My breathing didn't seem to want to calm down and the tears didn't want to stop from falling from my eyes. Images from the nightmare came flying back into my mind and I let out a piercing scream. I gripped my head between my hands, tugging at my hair. I closed my eyes, desperately trying to make the images disappear.

"Winter. I need you to calm down or else you may fall into another coma." The small girl spoke softly but I ignored her and thought of a song that my foster mother always sang to me when I felt depressed. I softly began to sing it and I felt how I became to calm down.

_"The World, seems not the same._

_Though I know, nothing has changed._

_It's all my state of mind. _

_I can't leave it all behind. _

_Have to stand up to be stronger._

_Have to try, to be break free from the thoughts in my mind._

_Use the time that I have, I can't say, goodbye._

_Have to make it right._

_Have to fight, cause I know in the end it's worthwhile, that the pain that I feel slowly fades, away._

_It'll be alright. _

_I know, time is precious, it is worthwhile. _

_Despite how I feel inside, have to try, it'll be alright. _

_Have to stand up to be stronger._

_Have to try, to break free from my thoughts in my mind. _

_Use the time that I have, I can't say, goodbye._

_Have to make it right._

_Have to fight, cause I know in the end it's worthwhile, that the pain that I feel slowly fades, away._

_It'll be alright. _

_Oh, this night is too long. _

_Have no strength to go on. _

_No more pain, I'm floating away._

_Through the mist, I see the face of an angel who calls my name. _

_I remembered, you're the reason I have to stay._

_Have to try, to break free from the thoughts in my mind. _

_Use the time that I have, I can't say, goodbye. _

_Have to make it right._

_Have to fight, cause I know in the end it's worthwhile, that the pain that I feel slowly fades, away. It will be alright."_

I softly sang while I felt myself relax. The temperature around me was now different, it was still cold, but I no longer wanted warmth. With my eyes closed, I felt how the ice from the room started to disappear. My breathing was now relaxed and a small smile made itself into my lips. Mother always knew how to make me feel better. I was no longer crying but deep inside, I still felt the sorrow from my past. I slowly opened my eyes and I saw Natsu staring at me with a small frown and the bluenette with a small smile.

"You're singing is beautiful Winter." She softly spoke and I shook my head before turning to look at the door, mentally pleading them to let me go. "But I can't let you go, you've been in a coma for two months and I still don't think you're fully ready to leave the infirmary." She spoke with a sad voice and my eyes grew wide. Two months?! What?! What would've possibly made me fall in a coma of two freaking months?! I groaned loudly and rolled my eyes. At least I managed to unfreeze the room.

"I'm hungry and thirsty. I don't want to be here." I spat and she flinched but I paid it no attention. I heard Natsu growl and I looked at him.

"Winter, we've been worried sick about you for two damn months and you don't even have the decency to say thanks?!" He yelled furiously but I wasn't affected by it. My eyes were still gazing at the door and I sighed.

"Shut up. You don't know anything." I coldly spoke.

"That doesn't mean you have to blame us for whatever stupid thing happened to you!" He scolded and I felt anger blow up inside me. In the blink of an eye, he was sent flying towards the stone brick wall and I heard the bluenette scream. The exceed was staring with wide eyes and the girl was holding the stupid cat tightly against her chest. I was fuming. How dare he say that about my past?! I hate him so much.

I let out a battle cry before flying towards him, he got up and dodged my punch which collided with the wall.

"How dare you?!" I screamed. "Don't you ever speak about my past ever again!" I backed away, the flooring was starting to freeze up again and I was trying furiously to stop it. He was staring at me in shock before he sighed.

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry." He quickly apologized.

I growled and turned around to run out of there. Luckily, the door was behind me so he couldn't stop me nor the bluenette.

"Winter!" I heard the girl yell but I ignored her. I need to get out of here. Now. As I stepped into the main hall everyone turned their heads towards me but I ignored them all and kept running. I heard gasps and murmurs but paid them no mind.

"Come back here!" I heard Natsu yell but I started to run faster, careful not to get tangled up in my hair and fall down. I thought that joining Fairy Tail would make me feel better, not more depressed. It was a horrible decision to join the stupid guild and I've already decided to tell the Master about leaving. They could never understand my pain. They will never ever ever understand it. No matter how hard they tried.

"Hey! Get back here!" I kept hearing the idiotic dragon slayer shout but I was shocked when I heard more voices with him.

"Winter! Please stop!" Lucy yelled and I noticed a hint of dread in her voice. She knows. She knows that I don't want to be in Fairy Tail. She knows that I don't belong with them. But here she is, chasing after me.

"Winter I command you to stop right this instant!" I heard a stern voice shout. Erza. Man she sure is stern.

"Would you just stop for a second?!" Gray's cold voice rang through my ears. Is every member of Fairy Tail chasing me?

"Requip! Flight Armor!" I heard Erza yell and my breath got caught in my throat. I'm so dead. Or maybe not...

. Erza leaped towards me but I swiftly dodged in the air. She had cheetah themed clothing and her speed was incredible.

"Can't you just leave me alone?! All this trouble for one stupid girl?!" I shouted furiously. I didn't listen to what they said because with inhuman speed, ran out of there, running as fast as my legs could take me, arriving just seconds later to the forest. I looked around with a small sigh, oh well, looks like I'm back here. It's really rare of me to use my wings because I always forget about them. I touched the soft skin beside my right ear, touching the guild mark. My eyes closed and I sighed. What am I supposed to do now? I don't want to go back to them...correction, I'm not going back to them. But what am I supposed to do now? I threw myself to the ground and I landed on my back. I was now sprawled in the floor gazing at the leaves from the trees that were covering the sky. It was extremely dark and after all that running, I now noticed that it's night time. I never notice my surroundings huh? I couldn't help but think about the mages that were following me's reaction. Lucy felt dread. Natsu felt anger. Erza felt insulted. Gray...I don't even know what Gray was feeling. Probably nothing. I took a deep breath and felt how my stomach rumbled but I didn't move. I'm emotionally drained and I want to sleep. My eyes fluttered close, searching for sleep but it never came. I groaned and slapped a hand against my forehead. I hate this so much. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this. I hate myself, I hate myself, I hate myself. I slowly sat up and rubbed my back. The grass isn't really soft if you ask me. I stood up and walked deeper into the forest. The sound of crickets filled the atmosphere and I relaxed at their songs. There wasn't anything I could do except go hunting or something because I'm hungry. I walked around and sniffed the air. I growled when I caught the 4 familiar scents not too far away from here. They are literally on my last nerve. If they don't cut this out I'm going to freaking freeze them. Oh-oh. The scents were getting closer by the millisecond and I felt panic in my chest. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists so tightly, my knuckles turned white. I walked slowly towards the center of a small area were the trees were surrounding it. As I stood in the very center, I knelt down and my dress fluttered to my sides and my hair united with the grass. I sighed before closing my eyes and extending a hand in front of me. I waved it in a circle and I felt how ice started to surround me like a barrier. In a distance of 20 feet away, a clear ice barrier surround me and I was in the center. Once the barrier was fully complete and united right above me, I heard the rustling of bushes right behind the barrier and I saw Natsu pop out and smash against the barrier, falling on his butt.

"What the?! Hey! It's Winter!" He yelled while pointing his index finger at me and seconds later, Erza appeared along with Gray and Lucy.

"Why are you on the floor Flame brain?" Gray asked with a smirk and Natsu jumped to his feet.

"What did you just called me?!" He shouted and their foreheads crashed together.

"I called you Flame brain!" He remarked and Natsu growled.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I heard Erza shout with anger but this time, she didn't make them pass out or anything but they both lunged arms around their shoulders.

"Yes ma'am!" Gray grinned while sweat poured down his back.

"A-Aye!" Natsu cheered with a nervous smile.

Lucy was silently gazing at me. Erza turned to look at me and started to walk but slammed into the barrier, causing her to stumble back a bit. She regained her ground and looked at me with confusion. I didn't speak.

"Winter...why are you doing this?" Lucy whispered softly and the rest of them nodded, as if wanting to ask the same question. I slightly shook my head, not wanting to answer. I was still knelt down in the grass and my hands were lying on my lap. "You're really stubborn you know that?" She giggled and I didn't answer but shook my head again. She let out a soft sigh.

"Winter, could you please take down the barrier? We just want to talk with you." Erza spoke firmly and I noticed she was wearing her usual Heart Kreuz armor instead of the cheetah clothing. I shook my head. She narrowed her eyes at me before a soft glow came out of her hand and a sword appeared. She gripped it tightly before stepping in front on the barrier again. She lifted the sword over her head and slammed it against the barrier. The sword broke and fell to the ground. Her eyes widened and she chuckled. "You're indeed a strong wizard." She spoke with a smirk and I only looked at her with emotionless eyes.

"You came here for something. What do you want?" I asked flatly and Natsu spoke.

"Well duh! We want you to head back to the guild! Everyone is worried about you!" He yelled while slamming a fist against the barrier. I shook my head.

"I know I'm a member of Fairy Tail. But I've come to realize that...I don't belong with you people." I stated bluntly and Lucy gasped. Natsu's eyes became full with rage.

"What're you talking about?!" He yelled furiously and Erza put a gentle hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off and turned to look at me again but I put a hand in the air to silence him. He stopped from talking and raised an eyebrow. I sighed and rubbed my temples. My headache from two months ago is already returning. I slowly stood up and brushed the dirt from my dress. I looked up to meet their eyes and slowly made my way to them but stopped 5 feet away from the barrier.

"No matter how hard I try, I can never be happy. When I was alone, I didn't feel as depressed as I do now that I've joined Fairy Tail. The pain that I feel has worsen ten times over for reasons I don't want to talk about. I like being alone and if I want to be alone...why can't you guys just leave me be?" I asked softly and I saw how Lucy's eyes were now drowning in sorrow and I looked at her. "You." I called her and her head snapped up to look at me. "I know what you feel. Having to lose people you cared about." I sighed and I saw how a tear escaped her left eye. I shook my head. "But trust me, what you feel is nothing compared to what I feel." My voice cracked but I ignored it. I may be acting selfish, but it's the truth. She gave me a confused look through the tears and I shrugged. "I'm going to head back to the guild...but I'm going to tell the Master that I quit Fairy Tail." I coolly spoke and they all gasped. "Please, I beg of you to not act like you care." I pleaded harshly and I heard how Natsu slammed into the barrier, cracking it. I glanced at him and his fists were bathing in fire, repeatedly hitting the barrier.

"You can't be serious!" He growled but I only glanced at him before turning my back on the four of them and starting to walk away. I heard the banging against the barrier repeatedly and just as I was reaching the other far end I heard how the ice broke behind me and my eyes went wide. He broke it? I felt something wrap itself on my left wrist and I felt an electric shock through my whole being and I screamed. I felt it pull on me and I fell, my face making contact with the ground. The electricity was still there burning on my skin and I tried to ignore it as much as humanly possible. I sat up and looked at my wrist. Something was wrapped around it with golden and blue colors. It trailed up into a certain direction and I followed it until it finished with an angry looking Lucy who pulled it again and dragged me over to her. I growled and pulled the what seemed to look like a whip and she fell to the ground in front of me. I was desperately trying to free myself from the whip but every time I touched it with my other hand it shocked me. Lucy quickly stood up and pulled it again dragging me closer to her again. Why would her whip shock me? It doesn't look like it has electricity...

"Sorry Winter, but you're not quitting Fairy Tail. We're not going to let you." She stated fiercely and I sighed. Why is she doing this? I want to be alone and none of them can accept my decision? I hate them so much. So, so much. I saw Erza from the corner of my eye. I felt something cold touch my neck and I glanced down at it. A sword. From the corner of my eye I still saw Erza standing with a blade up to my neck.

"I didn't want to this Winter." She sighed and I chuckled.

"Please. Just leave me alone. Is it really that hard?" I laughed bitterly and she only pressed the blade further. I gulped.

"Just come with us Winter. We promise you we will never mention anything related to your past. Fairy Tail will be your new home." Lucy spoke softly and I felt how she released the whip from my wrist and I rubbed the now wounded area. It was red and it was burning like hell. I closed my eyes. I don't want to be with them. I can't just force a smile and tell them how excited I am to go on adventures with them. I felt how Lucy got closer and I opened my eyes to see her crouching down in front of me. She took the hair that was covering my guild mark and I only watched her.

"This," I felt her touch my guild mark and she softly smiled. ", means you're a member of Fairy Tail. And we're not going to give up on you that easily Winter." She softly let go off my hair and I took a deep breath. I seriously don't want to go with them but what choice do I have? I don't know where Natsu and Gray ran off to but I can't smell them nearby. I wonder where they are. I opened my eyes and I saw Lucy looking back at me with care. I remember bawling my eyes out in the forest because of those eyes. Those eyes that looked so similar to my foster mother's. I quickly looked away and she noticed that I was uncomfortable about this because she stood up and extended a hand towards me. I felt how the blade positioned in my neck slowly disappeared and I glanced at Erza who had a small smile. I gulped. I don't want this. No. But I have to. Even if it means more pain and suffering. I'm obliged to go back to the guild because if I don't they'll hunt me down until they find me and take me back to the guild by force. I shakily took her hand and her smile widened. I only frowned and she helped me stand up. Honestly, I still felt weak from that two month coma. I'm hungry, thirsty and it's probably 8 o' clock. I want to sleep. She held my hand in hers and I sighed. I feel horrible. Horrible emotionally and physically. My stomach hurts and I feel like I'm going to puke. I don't know if it's because I'm hungry but I have this weird nausea and a headache. I'm emotionally exhausted and I just feel like crying again. I gazed at the ground and let go of Lucy's hand before slowly starting to walk in a random direction, hoping it's the way back to the guild. I heard footsteps behind me and I knew it was Lucy and Erza's. I sighed sadly. I wish I could just die right here and now. It wouldn't matter to anyone. As if my thoughts were answered, I felt how the nausea got the best of me and I jerked forward and puked my guts out. I heard gasps behind me.

"Oh my gosh, Winter!" Lucy spoke softly while patting my back. I started to cough uncontrollably and I noticed that what I puked wasn't normal puke. It was blood. My chin had blood and I kept coughing it out, getting it on my dress and on Lucy's skirt. I feel like hell. Wow, I've never felt this horrible before and I truly feel like I'm a piece of shit lying on the ground. Cough after cough, blood after blood, I finally stopped puking and coughing and I was now panting, gasping for air. Ok, maybe the two months were starting to take affect on me. I snapped my eyes shut, the headache was now worse and I groaned silently.

"We have to get her back to the guild and fast." Erza firmly stated and I heard Lucy silently agree.

"I'll ask Loke to take her, he's faster." She said while fumbling with what sounded like keys. She's a celestial wizard? "Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!" She yelled and a golden light blinded me. I couldn't see what appeared because I was staring down at my blood with half closed eyes. My whole body is beginning to hurt and I regret leaving the infirmary this morning.

"Loke, could you please take her quickly back to the guild. She's ill and maybe Wendy can heal her." She softly spoke and I felt how a pair of arms picked me up bridal style and tried with all my strength to push the person away but the person held me tightly pressed against his chest and I growled.

"Let...go...of me." I grunted but he didn't budge.

"Winter, please stop fighting. He's going to take you back safely to the guild where Wendy can check up on you." She explained and I only remained silent. I closed my eyes, I was having problems with my breathing but I silently prayed that I didn't fell into another state of coma. I don't want to see another horrible nightmare. I refuse to fall into a coma. I will stay awake no matter what. I felt the person starting to run and I gagged. This type of movement was making my stomach more upset.

Winter, keep yourself together, he's going to take you back to the guild and that Wendy girl will heal you again and the nausea will go away! Yay! Hooray for healing magic! I heaved a pained sigh. What's wrong with me? Maybe it's because of my body not getting the full proteins and nutrients it needs. Well...I have been in a coma for two months without eating or drinking anything. So it makes sense.

Every step the person took made my nausea worsen but I tried to ignore it as much as possible. I was trying to keep myself calm by singing the song my mother always sang to herself when she was sad. She told me it was a good song to motivate herself to keep strong and by singing that song, it made me feel happy and strong even though I'm not. I repeatedly kept singing the song until we came to a stop and the person made a slamming noise and I noticed we were in the front doors of the guild. So soon? Wow. This guy's fast.

"Somebody help!" I heard the person yell and instantly recognized it as the zodiac spirit, Leo. Wow, Lucy must be strong if she has the leader of the zodiacs in her collection.

"Loke?! What happened?!" I heard the familiar pink haired dragon slayer yell. The blood was now dried on my chin and dress and I was feeling weaker by the second. Something is wrong with me, something horribly wrong. I heard people surround me and the spirit holding me tightly against his chest.

"Oh my gosh." I heard a choked sob come from my left and slightly opened my eyes to see Mira with small tears gathering in her eyes. "Not again." She whispered sadly. I groaned loudly and squirmed, lightly pushing at his chest.

"Put...me...down." I groaned. "I'm f-fine." I stuttered and he lost his grip on me causing me to stumble and trip to the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" Leo apologized as he tried to pick me up again but I furiously shook my head. I took a deep breath.

"I'm fine." I firmly spoke.

"Winter-san! I'll heal you really quick but you have to promise you'll stay in the infirmary this time." The bluenette spoke softly while helping me up and starting to take me back to the infirmary. I slowly nodded. I feel too weak to just leave the infirmary like nothing happened. I heard footsteps run towards me and saw Natsu and Gray gazing at me. I saw Natsu at the counter but why did he leave Erza and Lucy with me in the forest? The same goes for Gray.

"What happened to you? You look horrible." He said with hint of concern and I looked at him. I was still gasping for air and he noticed so he along with Wendy, helped me to the infirmary. Natsu quickly following behind. He was oddly silent and made me wonder what was he thinking about? We walked into the same room I left this morning but they put me on a farther bed in the farthest corner of the infirmary. Ugh, now if I ever want to escape, it's going to be harder. I shook my head. Why would I want to escape after what happened in the forest? There's something wrong with me and I refuse to make my body more upset by leaving the infirmary and going back to the wild.

Once they settled me on the bed, Wendy quickly started to use her magic on me and I noticed the white exceed looking down at me with a look of hatred. What have I ever done to her? Oh well...it's nothing new I mean everyone hates me so it's ok. But I couldn't help but think of Hiccup. How is he? Is he ok? I hope he is safe. I remember our adventures and fun times together. I remember him risking himself to protect me even though he is really small. I remember the first time we met and how we immediately became best friends. I remembered how I hatched him from his egg and when he came out he rewarded me with a huge smile and an unforgettable friendship. I will never forget him. And watching this stupid exceed watching me like that reminded me of the day he abandoned me. I snapped my eyes shut. No. Don't cry. You can't cry it will make everything worse. I softly shook my head and opened them again. I glanced to my left and saw Wendy with closed eyes and furrowed brows, the exceed next to her still glaring at me. I weakly glanced to my right and saw Natsu and Gray looking down at me with concern. But Natsu seemed out of it...weird. My eyes met Gray's and he gave me a soft smile. I frowned. My body didn't hurt that much but it still hurt. My nausea was still there but my headache disappeared. I glanced at Wendy and she was now panting beside me and the exceed looking at her with a serious expression.

"Let's go Wendy. You've done enough here." She spoke coolly and I wondered what did I do for her to hate me so much. Then again...what did I do for life to be such a pain in the ass? She looked over at Gray and Natsu. The both of them were looking at her expectantly. She let out a sad sigh before speaking.

"She's suffering from depression. The depression is slowly making her physically ill but there's something weird about her that I can't quite figure out. It's as if she's resisting the urge to do something and that's also one of the reasons she's ill. But it's mainly the depression." She spoke softly and I only watched as the two guys gazed down at me. I slowly sat up and laid my hand down on my lap. I might as well stay here. I feel better but still nauseous and the pain is still there. But I knew what she was talking about when she said I was resisting the urge to do something. It's my secret. The secret I have to keep from others. It's been a while since I've last been like that but I have to keep resisting the urge to do it again, especially since I've now joined a guild. "I healed the worst things but she's still a little sore. Winter," She spoke and I glanced at her. ", I'm going to take a rest but I will be back later. If you need anything, just call me ok?" She asked nicely and I nodded.

"Thank you." I mumbled raspy. My throat was itchy, as if it was begging for water. I mentally cheered when I saw Gray approach me with a glass of water and handing it to me. I took it with shaky hands and brought it to my lips, drinking the whole glass. Once I finished it, I placed it on the bed side table and softly sighed. My throat was now refreshed. Yay!

So...depression huh? I knew there was something wrong with me but would've though it was depression? Oh yeah...everyone. My gaze dropped to my lap and I frowned. I have to break down this walls that are keeping me from being happy but no matter how hard I try, I just can't. I heard footsteps leaving and I assumed it was Wendy with the exceed. I heard a soft sigh from beside me and I saw Natsu scratch the back of his head.

"Depression huh?" He mumbled. I thought the same thing Natsu, same thing.

"Yeah." I sighed.

"Wait! I got an idea! Stripper you stay with Winter." He told Gray who glared at Natsu. I wonder what he's going to do. He ran out of the infirmary and slammed the door shut behind him and I flinched at the loud noise.

I heard Gray drag a chair next to my bed and plopped himself into it. He was looking at me but I only gazed at my lap which had drops of blood. Than I remembered I still must have the dry blood on my chin. I brought my hand to my chin and just as I thought, I came in contact with the raspy feeling of the blood and I frowned. I brought my hand back to my lap and I could literally feel Gray's eyes boring into my soul. Well...maybe not that exaggerated, but still. It's freaking me out. I glanced at him.

"Can you please stop looking at me like that? It's freaking me out." I echoed my thoughts with slight hint of annoyance and he chuckled before looking away and scratching the back of his head. Wait a second...his half naked again! "And can you put some clothes on?" I bluntly asked and he shrieked when he looked down at himself.

"How did this happen?" He yelled searching around the room for his clothes but he didn't found them. I couldn't contain the laugh that escaped my lips as I watched him frantically searching for his clothes like a fool. He heaved a huge sigh before plopping himself once again in the chair and smirking at me.

"Anyway, so you're an ice mage huh? That's awesome." He chuckled and I sighed. "But I'm not a shabby ice mage either." He smirked and I mimicked him.

"How did you learn it?" I asked curious of who is Gray. He frowned a bit before answering.

"My old master, Ur, taught me and another guy named Lyon, but he is a member of Lamia Scale." He shrugged and I nodded silently.

"What happened to her?" I asked and he tensed a bit and I immediately regret asking him. He sighed.

"She died." He fumbled with his necklace and I frowned.

"Sorry for asking." I softly apologize and he quickly met my gaze.

"No..don't worry about it." He assured me.

"Gray, do you mind leaving? I want to rest." I asked while gazing down at my lap. I heard him sigh before standing up. I felt a pat in the head and my eyes went wide at the gesture.

"Not at all. See you later." He coolly stated and walked out of the room, leaving me alone. I didn't lie, I am truly tired and dizzy and I just want to take a much needed rest.

I rested my head against the soft pillow and closed my eyes, ignoring the dry blood itching at my skin. I let out a soft sigh before closing my eyes and allowing sleep to take over.

* * *

><p><em>I was screaming my head off as I saw my best and only human friend, Faela, risk her life to protect me and falling weakly to the ground. The tears wouldn't stop from pouring out of my eyes as I ran towards Faela. Once I reached her I gently laid her on my lap and took her beautiful green hair out of her face. Her breathing was so slow. Too slow for my liking.<em>

_"Winter...get out...of here. It's...not...safe." She whispered before her eyes fluttered close and her hand fell weakly to her side. _

_"Faela?!" I lightly shook her but she didn't move. "FAELA!" I sobbed, trying desperately to keep her awake. But luck was simply never on my side. I heard how her breathing stopped and I shrieked. This can't be happening to me. I already lost Hiccup along with my mother, I can't lose her either! No! Please no! My sobbing got louder and I felt dread rush through my veins. _

_But something weird happened. Everything went black and now the shadows surrounded me. Everywhere I looked was pure darkness. I was searching hysterically for a sign of light. For Faela. But I didn't find anything nor did I found my friend. I felt fear. Fear of what may happen now. Where am I? What's happening to me. I felt my body shifting, and when I looked down to myself, I wasn't in my human form anymore but instead a white scaled dragon. My body was small compared to average dragons but bigger than a human. My wings were smooth as silk and my tail was as long as my body, but that's when I noticed that my left back wing, the one that is on my tail, wasn't there. And that's when I remembered my accident. My teeth were rounded instead of sharp and my eyes were slit and blue. I was currently standing on all fours and my head was searching for any sign of life. Anything, even a freaking ant. That's when my nose caught a horrible scent and I scrunched up my snout in disgust. I know that scent anywhere. But the voice was even more recognizable than the scent. Acnologia. _

_"Come join me, you've lost everything. You're family, friends, even your own kin. You're nothing. You have no choice but to join me, Dragon Queen." _


End file.
